Ask HN: How did Spotify get there first?

[Apocryphon]

Spotify amazes me the same way Hulu did when I first discovered it. How did Spotify become the first to acquire so many licenses, and be the first app to offer easy streaming? Or rather, why did they get here first? Why couldn't Apple or Amazon or Google roll it out first? What separates Spotify from Grooveshark, Pandora, etc.?

[JAVagueArgument]

I don't know for sure, but I am fairly confident that the creators had the right contacts in the industry, and they started in the EU, so might have been an easier place to gain ground slow but steady (although I believe they made a massive loss last year).

I was one of the early beta users of Spotify and I recall at the time their collection was sparse for modern popular music, but they constantly added more labels and built up their collection slow but steady.

Finally, they added a tie in with Facebook so it had a social side right away, and most importantly, originally it was unlimited and free which brought in masses of users, and big advertisers like Burger King.

Then eventually they cycled back to a free limited free and added another subscription level which was half the full €10 a month.

Having had it free for over a year, instead of complaining I signed up and am now a full subscriber.

HTH.

[Apocryphon]

Thanks! Another question I have is why is it finally hitting the U.S. now? It seems like it's taken almost a decade for a big "unlimited music streaming" type service to reach critical mass (which Spotify seems to be on its way to achieving in the States).