Windows Phone Thoughts - Daily News, Views, Rants and Raves

Check out the hottest Windows Mobile devices at our Expansys store!


Digital Home Thoughts

Loading feed...

Laptop Thoughts

Loading feed...

Android Thoughts

Loading feed...




Go Back   Thoughts Media Forums > WINDOWS PHONE THOUGHTS > Windows Phone Talk

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 02-08-2011, 05:00 AM
Brad Wasson
Contributing Editor
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 118
Default Last.fm Business Model Change Means Some Users Will Now Pay

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive...obile-streaming

"Personalised radio service Last.fm is trying to stuff the proverbial genie back into the bottle, by charging for mobile access that was previously free."

Wired in the UK has a posting today about a change in the business model for Last.fm. In short, the radio service built into Last.fm mobile apps and on home entertainment devices will become an ad-free, subscriber-only feature. Wired reports that the changes vary from platform to platform.

"The website streaming option will remain free in the UK, US and Germany, as will streaming through the desktop application, but all other uses -- including the likes of Sonos and Squeezebox -- will require a premium account, with just two exceptions. US and UK users of Xbox Live and Windows Mobile 7 phone will remain free. See the Q&A below for some more details on that."

It is certainly a tricky marketing maneuver to placate users that will have to move from a previously free model to a paid one, and Wired's interview with Matthew Hawn sheds some light on the reasoning behind the move. Interestingly, Windows Phone 7 users benefit from a Microsoft subsidy. So, if you are a current user that faces a new fee, you will have a decision to make. Is it worth paying money for?

 
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 02-08-2011, 07:40 AM
heliod
Intellectual
heliod's Avatar
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 194

For some reason I had the feeling that one day Last.FM would do that, so from the beginning I looked for alternatives.

Found www.radiotime.com which has a great number of radio stations, good search in the website, good mobile software (paid in some platforms - around $3 - and free in others like Android) for Android, iPhone, Symbian and Blackberry, and a very decent add-on to Windows Media Center.

So I don't use Last.fm for already a year or so.
__________________
Helio Diamant
Editor
www.mobilityfreak.co.il - The Hebrew Mobile and Wireless Website
 
Reply With Quote
Reply


Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 07:18 PM.