Spotify has arrived!  Well, it's been around since 2006 and has nearly 2 million users but it's finally here in the U.S...

Spotify is a streaming music service that is basically iTunes + Pandora with a splash of Facebook.    Companies like Rdio, MOG and others are trying the all-you-can-eat streaming approach but aren't getting the same traction as Spotify.  But I guess when you have guys like Sean Parker backing you and a $1 billion dollar valuation, you're probably going to get noticed. 

Spotify follows a "freemium" model that allows you to stream 15 million songs without paying a penny if you're willing to put up with ads.  If you step up to their $9.99/month Premium plan, you can skip the ads and can also take music on-the-go by syncing to your iPod or streaming over WiFi to your iPhone or Android.

The main benefit over iTunes is that you don't need to download or save any music.  Just search for a track and click play and you're set.  Pandora has offered music streaming for years now but the problem is that you can't directly control the music that you listen to, create playlists or sync with your iPod or phone.

My favorite feature of Spotify is the Facebook integration which allows you to share your curated playlists with your friends and also view and subscribe to what they're listening to.  The ability to discover new music is huge and Spotify does a great job at this. 

We still need a little more time to play around with the Spotify, but here's a quick breakdown of what we liked and disliked.

Pros:

• Access to over 15 million songs for free
• Great iPhone / Anndroid apps
• iPhone/Android Sync over WiFi
• Facebook Integration / Share playlists with friends
• Free! (with ads)

Cons:

• Not all songs available in U.S. (licensing restrictions)
• Internet connection required to take music with you
• No web-based streaming (Desktop app required)

Get Spotify at: Spotify.com