We’re introducing a new world inside Spotify. It’s a world where there’s even more music for you to discover and a ton of new experiences to be enjoyed. Spotify Apps are here!

Spotify Apps are a bunch of cool, exciting and integrated apps inside Spotify, created by some of the best and brightest in the world. Each app brings you a new music experience tailored to you.

The joy of apps

Thanks to Spotify Apps, the best music reviewers can help you discover great music to listen to. Help yourself to recommendations through Last.fm and We Are Hunted, and expert tips from Rolling Stone, The Guardian, and Pitchfork.

But that’s not all…

Let’s say you’re listening to a new track and you’d like to know the lyrics. Just click over to the TuneWiki app and see all the words of the song perfectly synced as you’re listening.

Maybe you want to see a gig this weekend? Check out the Songkick app to find out if any of the artists in your library are performing near you. Then get your hands on tickets with a few clicks.

The apps you’ll discover over the next few days are only the beginning. We’ll surprise you, and probably be surprised ourselves, with many more new and wonderful experiences that will make Spotify even better.

How do you add apps?

In the left sidebar of Spotify, you’ll find a section called Apps. Click on this to bring up the App Finder. Go forth and find the apps for you.

For more about Spotify Apps, come this way . As always, we’d love to hear what you think about our new apps.

Happy Apping!

Note: You need the Spotify Apps Preview version to link to these apps directly. Get it here!

In their first ten years, Gorillaz have topped charts around the world, hit Number 1 in more than a dozen countries, and received influential awards and recognition, all while collaborating with a stunning array of artists including Dangermouse, Lou Reed, Ike Turner, Bobby Womack, De La Soul, Little Dragon, Snoop Dogg and many, many more.

The Singles Collection: 2001-2011 is their career-spanning best of, available now on Spotify.

To celebrate this release, the Gorillaz and Spotify have pulled together 5 weeks of exclusive content and interactive fun, including a 3-part radio programmed hosted by Murdoc and 2D taking us through the band’s history, live concerts not previously made available, plus competitions to win a one of a kind MacBook Air skinned with artwork created by renowned Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett.

Check out all the fun here and keep checking back each week for even more from the Gorillaz.

This week is Thanksgiving in the US. And we’ve got our own reasons to give thanks too.

Fanfare! Drum roll! Yes, we’re excited to announce that we’ve now welcomed 2.5 million paying subscribers to the service.

So we’d like to say a big thank you to all our subscribers, new and old. Keep spreading the good news about Spotify!

Of course, we’ll continue to focus on providing you with the best music service possible. We’ve got some exciting developments in the works, which we’ll share with you very soon.

Thanks for listening!

Music Loves Art. Next week it’s heating up in Florida!
Art Basel is hitting Miami and Spotify is joining in on the action. As the most prestigious art show in the Americas, this year’s Art Basel will be showcasing works by more than 2,000 artists of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Spotify and Ricochet Lounge are pairing up to highlight the powerful relationship between art and music at a unique showcase.

This exciting event, Music Loves Art, features a special line-up for art and music lovers, alike.

The series of four events in association with 42BELOW, along with sponsors Perrier® Sparkling Natural Mineral Water will bring world-renowned visual artists, performers and DJs together each night including live performances by Nas, Theophilus London, TV on the Radio, Venus X, Penguin Prison and Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings.

Adding to each action-packed day, in association with AriZona Beverages, visual artists Luis Gispert, Rashid Johnson, Kalup Linzy, Mickalene Thomas Josephine Meckseper, Xaviera Simmons, and Wangechi Mutu will present their perspectives of how music influences their craft. VICE will capture all the magic of this one-of-a-kind series in a VICE Meets Spotify Live four-part video series.

Get a sneak peak of some of the visual artist-curated playlist for the event here:

Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1’s release is this Friday, Nov 18, and Spotify gives a unique insider access for fans into the minds & hearts of our favorite Twilight Saga cast & crew – musically, of course!

In addition to the official Breaking Dawn soundtrack released last week, Spotify brings you exclusive commentary from the soundtrack’s music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas and a bonus track by The Belle Brigade.

Also, star Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale) has curated his own Breaking Dawn inspired track lists.

You can enjoy all of these directly on Spotify.

We’re delighted to announce that Spotify is now available on Philips Streamium Wireless Hi-Fi component systems (MCi8080 and MCi900). It’s now even easier to enjoy a world of music no matter where you are in your home.

The update process is straightforward. Existing customers just need to switch on their Streamium device and they will be informed on the update. To enjoy Spotify on your Streamium, all you’ll need is a Spotify Premium subscription.

Beyond the great sound quality delivered by Philips Streamium Wireless Hi-Fi systems, Smartphone and tablet users will be delighted to manage Spotify on Streamium through their mobile device thanks to Philips MyRemote app. Simply download the free app, which is available on both the Apple App store and the Android Market Place, and browse our entire catalogue from the palm of your hand. If you have more than one Philips Streamium Multiroom device, the easy-to-use app will allow you to switch between them and control each one independently.

Enjoy!

We had so much fun launching in Austria yesterday that we figured why stop there?

So today we’re doubly excited to welcome both Belgium and Switzerland to the Spotify family. Hello. Hello.

Our new friends will be able to enjoy all three Spotify services - from absolutely free to paid subscriptions.

Spotify Free the unsurpassed free music service. Enjoy free, on-demand, buffer-free access to millions of songs on your computer. No gimmicks. Just listen and love it, month after month. All new users in Switzerland and Belgium can experience unlimited free, ad-supported music for the first 6 months of their account. After that, you’ll be able to listen to 10 hours of free music every month.

Spotify Unlimited – all the special features of our free service, but with uninterrupted, ad-free access to Spotify on your computer. All for only 4.99EUR or 6.45CHF a month.

Spotify Premium -the top-of-the-range Spotify experience. Premium gives you access to all the music, all the time. Listen online, offline, on your computer, your mobile phone and a whole heap of other devices. Enjoy enhanced sound quality and access to exclusive content, competitions and special offers.
Premium costs just 9.99EUR or 12.95CHF.

As usual, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to create a playlist of tracks just for our Swiss and Belgian friends to enjoy.

Spotify is available right now. Simply visit our homepage to sign up, or click on any of the play links you see in Facebook to get started for free!

Happy listening!

We’ve been busy translating Spotify into German. So now we can say hallo to our new friends from Austria!

Yes, today sees Austria become the tenth member of the Spotify family. Our Austrian friends can choose from three great Spotify services - from absolutely free to paid subscriptions.

Spotify Free – the unsurpassed free music service. Enjoy free, on-demand, buffer-free access to millions of songs on your computer. No gimmicks. Just listen and love it, month after month. All new users in Austria can experience unlimited free, ad-supported music for the first 6 months of their account. After that, you’ll be able to listen to 10 hours of free music every month.

Spotify Unlimited – all the special features of our free service, but with uninterrupted, ad-free access to Spotify on your computer. All for only 4.99EUR a month.

Spotify Premium - the top-of-the-range Spotify experience. Premium gives you access to all the music, all the time. Listen online, offline, on your computer, your mobile phone and a whole heap of other devices. Enjoy enhanced sound quality and access to exclusive content, competitions and special offers.

Premium costs just 9.99EUR!

A special occasion deserves a special playlist. Here’s a playlist of tracks we put together just for you.

Spotify is available right now. Simply visit our homepage to sign up, or click on any of the play links you see in Facebook to get started for free.

Happy listening!

Hipster International

Think of the defining moments in the internet’s relatively brief history: Napster, Facebook, Spotify – they’d all be up there. Sean Parker’s had a hand in all of them. His proudest online achievement to date, however, came this month, as he uploaded his first ever SMP mixtape… A magnificent medley of indie, electro, rock, blues, house – and pretty much everything in between.

NME’s 50 Druggiest Albums

Next, we’re getting all trippy, maaan, with NME’s 50 Druggiest Albums. Who’s on this one? The Libertines, of course, Dr. Dre, yep, The Doors, obviously, The 13th Floor Elevators, had to be, The Chemical Brothers, yes, mental, Jefferson Airplane, far-out, Happy Mondays, for sure, Iggy & The Stooges, no doubt, and, er, Elton John… Fair enough. Oh, and loads more besides. Superb mixtape. Check more ace creations from NME Magazine right here.

New Releases – November 2011

Next up, somewhat self-indulgently, is a mixtape of our very own. As you probably already know by now, our New Releases series is the only set of playlists you need to stay up-to-date with the latest releases on Spotify – updated regularly throughout the month. Featured so far: Cher Lloyd, Imogen Heap, Jack Johnson, Some Velvet Morning, Gruff Rhys, Florence + The Machine, Megadeth, Justin Bieber, Professor Green, Rizzle Kicks and more.

Denmark - Scandinavian Flair

We’ve something extra special from Acid Jazz Hispano mob this month. They’ve created this beauty of a playlist to welcome Denmark to Spotify. "Every time a new country enters the wonderful world of Spotify, the Acid Jazz Hispano crew will try to provide them with a nice playlist to start off with," they say. And it doesn’t get much nicer than The Five Corners Quintet, Jukka Eskola, Sibis Big Band, Nuspirit Helsinki, DJ Slow, Lindberg Hemmer Foundation, 12th Floor, Johanna Iivanainen, Eero Koivistoinen and more.

The Ultimate Holiday Playlist

Is it too early to start listening to Christmas mixtapes? Of course it’s not – if you think it is, then humbug to you. This festive playlist, created by Warner Bros. Records, features Michael Bublé, Andy Williams, Frank Sinatra, Madonna, Elvis Presley, The Flaming Lips, Ella Fitzgerald, Jackson 5 and more. Merry mixtape! Now, tell us you don’t feel festive after that. Where’s our copy of The Muppet Christmas Carol…

93 Til Infinity

The SMP Facebook page is an infallible yardstick for quality when it comes to mixtapes, and this cracking collection of early 90s hip-hop is swimming in Likes right now. Featured here: the amazing Souls Of Mischief, the even better A Tribe Called Quest and the inimitable Nas, alongside Gang Starr, Nice & Smooth, Grand Puba, Funkdoobiest, Leaders Of The New School and more. Ah, this is how we chill from 93 ’til…

Cowbell

This – perhaps surprisingly – is not the first playlist we’ve received dedicated to that most complex of musical instruments, the cowbell. However, it may just be the best: Santana, Michael Jackson, JAY-Z, Beastie Boys, Everything But The Girl, Deee-Lite, The B-52’s and Guns N’ Roses are all cowbelling on this one. You find more superb cowbell imbued noise here.

Dance Craze - 2 Tone Ska Classics

This is another playlist has been showered with Likes over on the SMP Facebook page this month. Based on the 1981 documentary Dance Craze, it’s a veritable feast of 2 tone and ska from the likes of The Specials, The Beat Bad Manners, The Body Snatchers, Madness, The Selecter and more. Big thanks to SMP user Junius for this one.

What is Northern Soul?

Right. Crack out your finest Italian suit, douse the dancefloor with talcum powder and get ready to bust some moves to one of the best collections of Northern Soul we’ve ever received. But… What is Northern Soul? Click here to find out – Frank Wilson, JJ Barnes, The Epitome Of Sound, Archie Bell and The Drells, Little Anthony & The Imperials, Reparta & The Delrons and more. Top mixtape.

The Soundtrack to October 2011

We end with a bona fide, must-hear mixtape, a true SMP hall of famer, the now legendary Soundtrack to… So, what’s SMP super-user Phil Wilce got in-store for us this month? The Kills, White Denim, Bombay Bicycle Club, Lana Del Rey, Justice, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Little Dragon, Toddla T and more. Oh, and a pithy intro full of fiscal-music puns. Well played, sir.

Hello Windows Phone 7 users. Like some good news? Our new Windows Phone 7 app launches today!

By a delightful coincidence, Windows Phone 7 is our seventh mobile app. Created with our friends at Microsoft, this app will give you an outstanding music experience on your Windows Phone 7.

Spotify is now available for a wide range of Windows Phone 7 devices. In fact, we’ve now got an app for more mobile devices than any other music service.

Here are some of the brilliant features of our Windows Phone 7 app:
• Search, browse & play our catalogue of millions of tracks
• Explore & play your friends’ playlists, top artists and tracks
• Stream over WiFi or 2.5/3G - all your existing playlists are available
• Offline playlists - play your music without an internet connection
• On-the-fly sync - every track you add to a playlist appears on mobile and computer
• What’s New view
• Receive music from friends via the inbox
• Starred tracks - tag all your favourites into a special list

As with all of our mobile apps, a Premium subscription is required to stream from our music library.

To start enjoying Spotify on your Windows Phone 7, just head over to the Marketplace.

Enjoy the music!