Spotify has gone mobile. The desktop-based Web site, which trades free music for users’ attention to ads, is now offering the service on the Google Android, Apple iPhone, and iPod touch platforms. The mobile service is available in France, Spain, Norway, Sweden and the U.K., but not yet in the U.S.
The Spotify mobile application is being made available to premium subscribers who pay a monthly or annual rate. Premium subscribers don’t have to view advertisements, have 320 kbps, have the ability to be the first to listen to new albums, and gain entry to ticket lotteries and VIP competitions.
The application can be downloaded via Apple’s App Store and the Android Market, according to the company.
“We’ve worked hard to bring you the same great Spotify experience you’re already familiar with to your phone,” wrote Spotify’s Andres Sehr on the company’s blog. “The mobile apps will allow you to take the entire Spotify catalog and put it in your pocket.”
The mobile app is similar to the desktop application in that it gives users access to million of tracks updated through Spotify’s catalog. What is different about the mobile app is that it also allows users to run Spotify while making calls and browsing the Web, according to the company. Updates from the desktop app are synced, as are updates from the mobile application to the desktop.
The app also enables users to listen to full tracks, fast-forward, rewind and shuffle music.
The feature that stands out from the rest allows users to listen to music in offline mode. Users can listen to their playlists even when no connection is available.
“The launch of the Spotify app for iPhone and iPod touch now provides our users with the best of both the online and offline worlds, making it even easier for…