Streaming music site Last.fm is dropping its free mobile service, asking users to pay up.
Last.fm will still offer free, ad-supported music via its website and desktop app for US, the UK and Germany, as well as for British and American users of XBox Live and Windows Phone 7 handsets.
“On the Last.fm website an ad-supported, free-to-listeners model is what supports our online radio services in the US, UK and Germany,” said product vice-president Matthew Hawn in a post on the Last.fm blog.
“In other markets and on emerging mobile and home entertainment devices, it is not practical for us to deliver an ad supported radio experience, but instead, we will migrate to what we believe is the highest quality, lowest cost ad-free music service in the world,” he added.
Subscribing to Last.fm currently costs £3 a month.
“You’ll see that this change brings us in line with other music services that already charge you to listen to music on mobile devices,” Hawn said.
Some users didn’t agree. “It’s been a good run,” said one users in the comments section. “Thanks for the music but I may as well get Spotify now.”
Spotify charges users £9.99 for a subscription that provides mobile access, but unlike Last.fm’s radio-style system, users can also pick which tracks and albums they want to hear.
Disclaimer: Some pages on this site may include an affiliate link. This does not effect our editorial in any way.
