Will Spotify kill iTunes?

The question of what effect Spotify for the Apple iPhone will have on iTunes is one being pondered this week by an expert in the sector, who asked whether the application will kill the music, TV, film and podcast retailer.

Will Cooper is deputy news editor at New Media Age and commented on Apple’s approval of the Spotify app, which will allow Premium subscription holders in certain EU countries to listen to bespoke playlists even if they are not online via their smartphone.

Mr Cooper said this product is often seen as more “fun” than iTunes for one main reason – it has “brought back the mix-tape”.

However, he pointed out that – at the moment, at least – they are different services, as Spotify is just a piece of software but iTunes is linked to the iPod, so there is no direct competition.

He added: “Spotify has really affected the industry quite strongly and has done really well. It was almost inevitable that they were going to convert to the iPhone. It seems the perfect platform for it.”

Networks and manufacturers moving into different sectors of the market was further demonstrated this week when Nokia announced the launch of its netbook – the Booklet 3G.

Editor of Computer Active Paul Allen commented on the development and said the divergence between mobile devices was getting smaller, so the idea of a phone maker deciding to produce a laptop was not surprising.