Spotify takes aim at Itunes

ONLINE MUSIC FLOGGER Spotify is gunning for a slice of Apple's Itunes pie with a service overhaul.

Spotify wants to build an end to end music service that will challenge Itunes where Sony and Microsoft have failed. As Europe's largest paid-for music service, the company seems to be aiming for a US launch later this year.

Spotify claims its feature upgrades will make its music easier to share and manage. It's placing its bets on a customisable 'Spotify Music Profile' that offers several new features.

Users can now build music profiles with a "People" sidebar for adding friends. Social notworking has been embedded with Facebook connectivity and a username search function has also been bolted on.

The "Music Profile" can be published anywhere on the web and Spotify has created more social functionality. The on-screen interface now has an Inbox, so you can drag tracks to other users and it will appear in their Inbox.

The biggest update is an enhanced Library function that Spotify claims will turn it into "total music management." Content can be wirelessly sent to mobiles, tracks can be "Starred" for tagging favourites and punters can import other non-Spotify tracks with a link.

"Today Spotify has moved a step closer to making music more connected, and realizing our dream of becoming the music platform. We want to empower users to share and discover music in a way that hasn't been possible up until now," said Daniel Ek, chief executive officer and founder of Spotify.

So far, Spotify has avoided launching its service in the US because of fears that users won't upgrade to the premium service. But without taking on that market Spotify won't have enough reach to make a dent in Itunes. µ