So yeah, it seems as though Sony’s wonderful Music Unlimited service, which was required if you wanted to play music on the PlayStation 4, is closing down as of March 29th.
According to Sony, they’re going to introduce an entirely new music service, which just so happens to be called Spotify.
Now, Music Unlimited was rarely used, I’ll admit to that. It didn’t have the songs I desired, nor did it work all too well on the PC. However, I subscribed to it because it was only $5, and also so I could play my games with custom music in the background. I mean, I’ve been a happy Rdio subscriber for three years now, so why bother using Music Unlimited when I’ve got a service that is significantly better in every single way? Simply put, Music Unlimited was a value-add for the PS4, and not for serious music listeners.
That’s how I justified my new subscription. It added a whole new feature to my PlayStation console, which made things even more awesome.
Except, now Sony’s ditching Music Unlimited for Spotify. Spotify is essentially the same exact thing as Rdio, with all of the same songs, albums, and whatnots you’d expect from a music streaming service.
However, I just see no point in subscribing to Spotify, especially not at the Premium rate of $10 per month. I’ve got Rdio for my main music listening, and used to have Music Unlimited ($5) for my PS4 listening. So unless Spotify lowers their rates, or creates a PlayStation-only plan at just $5 per month, I just can’t justify the expense. Now, since the pricing has yet to be announced, we don’t know if the $5 option will become available. However, let me tell you right now; if the new PlayStation Music service is more than the original Music Unlimited service, I will not be subscribing. Sony lost themselves a customer with their idiotic partnership.
Speaking of this partnership, it just doesn’t make any sense! Rdio is available in more countries than Spotify, and also has a larger catalog of songs. (The Black Keys, Taylor Swift, The Beatles. They’re all on Rdio, but not Spotify)
So, why Sony wouldn’t partner with a more accessible service is simply beyond my understanding. And, while I will end up subscribing to it if it ends up being a $5 monthly subscription, I have absolutely no intentions of paying for a full Premium subscription for a service that is arguably less than Premium.