WWW.BBJ.HU
5 Socialite
Budapest Business Journal | Feb 14 – Feb 27
Best monthly rates of premium streamed music packages (HUF)
Deezer
1,390*
Spotify
1,500**
Rdio
2,100
Google Play Music
1,950
*Only with a Telenor mobile subscription **Assuming a HUF/EUR conversion rate of 300 (Spotify’s rate is €5) Source: BBJ collection Note: ad−free listening on all platforms (pc, tablet, mobile) and in offline mode, subject to the providers’ conditions
of the then existing pool of 30. An expanding geographical coverage is a crucial tool in all major players’ survival kit. But whilst Spotify is gradually opening from rich countries to less developed ones, Deezer pursues a take−no−prisoners global strategy and now is present on 180 markets worldwide. “Our success is based on several factors. Music is not only recommended by algorithm stats, but is selected by 50 editors worldwide. A larger geographic coverage and our strategic partnerships with telco
partners all contribute to make the paying customer rate soar,” Szabolcs Horváth, Deezer’s managing director for CEE and the Balkans, said. Indeed, Deezer’s popularity in Hungary has a lot to do with its alliance with Telenor. The mobile provider told the BBJ that, “online music provided by Deezer has become an integral part of the lives of tens of thousands of our customers”. The buzz is further strengthened by the fact that the user interface is available in Hungarian and domestic performers
21
JUST STREAM IT In case you are a newcomer to the realm of online music listening, here’s what to expect. Forget the pain of having to select tracks or albums. What you get instead is access to a massive catalogue of music delivered to your device via the Internet in a live stream. As long as your subscription is active, all items on the provider’s servers are available at any time. An additional feature is the option to synchronize some of the tunes, thus ensuring offline access, though that is offered to paying customers only. The latter are also able to enjoy their music without ad interruptions or time limitations and at a better quality. Normally a trial period helps users get a taste of the unlimited experience.
are represented in high numbers in the catalogue. SHAZAM, BREAKTHROUGH? Spotify has plenty of such partnerships abroad, but are not planning any here. “The founders’ concept is that the best marketing you can do is the product itself,” Pluta said. The Swedish company is therefore building on the power of social media and other creative solutions; to name but one example, an app called Shazam that identifies any unknown song played and offers users the chance to
listen to it on Spotify right away. Another hot trend is moving the service to cars’ audio systems. Is such a business model viable in an environment with such deep−rooted tradition of illegal downloading, though? “The online music streaming technology is so new that the entry of any new competitor helps the user base grow as a result of its own communication. Competition also enhances product innovation, and so will result in a more comfortable service,” Horváth said.
ADVERTISEMENT
„
Discovery consists of seeing what everyone
has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. Szent-Györgyi Albert, (1893 - 1986), Biochemist & Nobel Prize Winner for Medicine in 1937
„
4th Annual Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Congress for Enlarged Europe
26-27 February 2014 Budapest, Hungary www.pharmconnect.eu the events group