Spotify's freemium to subscription pivot and licensing deals (2006–2016)

1. Spotify is founded in Stockholm

   Jan 1, 2006Labels: Daniel Ek, Martin Lorentzon, Stockholm

   • Britannica

2. Invitation-only launch introduces freemium streaming

   Oct 7, 2008Labels: Freemium model, Invite-only launch

   • Campaign

3. Spotify opens sign-ups in the UK

   Feb 11, 2009Labels: United Kingdom, Open sign-ups

   • TechCrunch

4. Premium mobile apps tie mobility to subscriptions

   Sep 7, 2009Labels: Mobile apps, Premium tier

   • Engadget

5. Spotify reaches 1 million paying subscribers

   Mar 8, 2011Labels: 1 million, Paid subscribers

   • Guardian

6. Free-tier listening limits tighten in Europe

   May 1, 2011Labels: Free tier, Europe

   • WIRED

7. U.S. launch follows major-label licensing deals

   Jul 14, 2011Labels: U S, Major labels

   • Guardian
   • Computerworld

8. Paid subscribers accelerate after U.S. expansion

   Nov 23, 2011Labels: Paid growth, U S

   • Guardian

9. Spotify introduces discounted student subscriptions

   Mar 25, 2014Labels: Student plan, Pricing

   • AndroidPolice

10. Spotify launches the Family subscription plan

    Oct 20, 2014Labels: Family plan, Multi-account

    • TIME
    • Ars

11. Spotify reaches 20 million paying subscribers

    Jun 10, 2015Labels: 20 million, Scale milestone

    • Fortune
    • MBW

12. Discover Weekly boosts engagement without exclusives

    Jul 21, 2015Labels: Discover Weekly, Personalization

    • Spotify
    • Musically

13. Publishing-royalties agreement with U.S. publishers

    Mar 18, 2016Labels: NMPA agreement, Publishing royalties

    • CNBC

14. Spotify hits 30 million paid subscribers

    Mar 21, 2016Labels: 30 million, CEO announcement

    • Phys org
    • TIME