Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B • Hacker News Board

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#281

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:00 PM UTC

kgwgk wrote: post #153

unethical_ban wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spotify was first for on-demand streaming in the modern era, even before Google or Apple Music. Its radio/recommendations are better than Pandora, and I haven't tried others. I think Spotify's UI is fantastic, and its multi-device awareness is functional and intuitive. To your point, Google does have ad-free Youtube, but the ads don't bother me enough/I don't watch enough Youtube for it to impact me like it does with…

> Spotify was first for on-demand streaming in the modern era I guess that’s true if you define the “modern era” as “starting with Spotify”.

[deleted]

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#282

Post by moistoreos » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:01 PM UTC

synaesthesisx wrote: post #27

I do love Spotify as a product, however I don't think it will scale the same way Netflix does. Spotify is at the mercy of major record labels, and as their books become more transparent the record labels will squeeze every dollar they can for licensing. That is, unless they find a way to upend the record industry entirely. Spotify has a unique position with their amazing discovery/recommendations engine- they could p…

starting a new label would be a massive undertaking. maybe partner with Google and snag popular YouTube channel sign and distribute only within the Spotify ecosystem.

HERE'S THE PROBLEM: Spotify doesn't pay shit to artists. They will have to increase the level of financial contribution to artists if they take this avenue.

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#283

Post by BookmarkSaver » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:04 PM UTC

robertAngst wrote: post #273

ChuckMcM wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Spotify is at the mercy of major record labels For now. They have a large enough reach to essentially "become" a major record label, all they need is to start signing artists to contracts.

For this reason, I don't understand tech valuations. Google is worth 1000B, general motors is worth 60B. Why? I'd contest GM has more 'stuff' and abilities to do 'anything'. Google has a bigger population, but what does that translate to when the value of tech might be lower. I'm not saying tech isnt more valuable, but there might be something wrong with google being 1,700% larger market cap than GM.

Well, GM has required direct government assistance in the recent past in order to stay solvent. Google is rolling in liquid assets.

GM exists in a very competitive industry with major competitors at or above their capacity, while Google has maybe 1 or 2 competitors in several of various industries, and dominates several independently and almost completely.

GM might be able to claw aware market-share from competitors, and end up more valuable, but not by that much. Google is in the sort of position that allows them to potentially capture a brand new industry if one appears.

GM could (relatively) easily get broken up or get massively devalued to to a large market event or by falling behind in an industry that is rapidly changing shape from what they are accustomed to. Google falling out of existence/dominance would almost have to be the result of a fundamental societal shift at this point (or anti-monopoly legislation somehow), and they could throw enormous amounts of cash at problems for years before facing insolvency (from my understanding).

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#284

Post by hetspookjee » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:04 PM UTC

wilsonnb wrote: post #208

ohf wrote: post #171

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd wager that Spotify is nearing the point at which - if not already there - record labels cannot afford to revoke their license. If they can get away with it, they'll try to push some buttons, but I doubt a full confrontation. If there's any evidence against this, please let me know. I think it's interesting.

Spotify's market share is currently being attacked on both ends. Apple Music is supposedly set to surpass Spotify in number of paid subscribers this summer. Youtube has always had more free listeners than Spotify, as far as I know. It's not at all clear who the major players in the music streaming business will be five years from now, which means that all of the power remains with the owners of the music that people…

YouTube being insanely slow with rolling out Red doesn't help YouTube their business. I really wanted YouTube to have Red in Europe but they cant or won't so I moved over to Spotify because no ads and massive quality increase.

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#285

Post by armandososa » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:05 PM UTC

thaumasiotes wrote: post #115

armandososa wrote: post #112

I am a closeted hobbyist musician in a rather small niche (contemporary christian music in Spanish LOL)but I don't want to live off my music. I just want to be heard by somebody. And today, trough distrokid plus spotify this is sooo posible. Which wouldn't have been in my wildest of dreams 20 years ago when I wanted to start a band with my friends. Or even 10, when I toured with a small time ska band. And since my go…

> a rather small niche (contemporary christian music in Spanish LOL) I would have expected this to be a very large niche? How do the Latin American / Spanish markets treat Christian music?

Well, at least in Mexico there is no christian radio nor a big christian music industry (no Top 20 charts or any of that). So that means touring and doing the old church pilgrimage and hoping that your style of music isn't offending to some people. The chances are bigger if you land a ministry on a big church but that's not my case.

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#286

Post by jdlyga » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:06 PM UTC

Spotify is fantastic. Excellent usability. I can control the output of my iPhone Spotify app using the app running on my linux computer.

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#287

Post by cup-of-tea » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:07 PM UTC

armandososa wrote: post #112

I am a closeted hobbyist musician in a rather small niche (contemporary christian music in Spanish LOL)but I don't want to live off my music. I just want to be heard by somebody. And today, trough distrokid plus spotify this is sooo posible. Which wouldn't have been in my wildest of dreams 20 years ago when I wanted to start a band with my friends. Or even 10, when I toured with a small time ska band. And since my go…

People have been able to listen to music over the Internet for about twenty years at this point. Why do you think you can only do it with Spotify?

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#288

Post by mseebach » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:08 PM UTC

bogomipz wrote: post #222

_zachs wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Starting their own label is exactly what they need to do to remain competitive. It's exactly what Netflix ended up doing and I think it's turning out pretty well for them. I wouldn't be surprised if Spotify tried poaching higher-level strategy people from Netflix.

>"Starting their own label is exactly what they need to do to remain competitive. It's exactly what Netflix ended up doing and I think it's turning out pretty well for them." This seems to be a common refrain that Spotify can just "pull a Netflix." And this is very unlikely. Firstly no matter how much opriginal content they could create, if they don't have back catalog it's going to be a total non-starter for the mai…

Why the assumption that "to pull a Netflix", they will have to get rid of the back catalogue? Netflix has plenty of third-party content. I would assume that Spotify's music licences are highly variable cost, ie almost entirely pay-per-stream. All they need to do is to get people to stream less licenced content and more own-produced.

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#289

Post by armandososa » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:10 PM UTC

lavezzi wrote: post #138

armandososa wrote: post #112

I am a closeted hobbyist musician in a rather small niche (contemporary christian music in Spanish LOL)but I don't want to live off my music. I just want to be heard by somebody. And today, trough distrokid plus spotify this is sooo posible. Which wouldn't have been in my wildest of dreams 20 years ago when I wanted to start a band with my friends. Or even 10, when I toured with a small time ska band. And since my go…

How do people find your music?

They don't.

Well, I have only released a single and plan to release an EP later this year and I'll figure out what to do. I'm thinking Facebook ads since I figure there's where my audience will be, but I don't really know.

I wish I was more photogenic so I could do the YouTube thing but, alas, I'm not.

That's where I think Spotify comes handy, because it has helped me to discover awesome artists that I wouldn't otherwise and I wish it could do the same for my music and other small artists.

Re: Spotify opens on NYSE, valuing company at almost $30B

#290

Post by jonbarker » Tue, Apr 03, 2018, 9:10 PM UTC

synaesthesisx wrote: post #27

I do love Spotify as a product, however I don't think it will scale the same way Netflix does. Spotify is at the mercy of major record labels, and as their books become more transparent the record labels will squeeze every dollar they can for licensing. That is, unless they find a way to upend the record industry entirely. Spotify has a unique position with their amazing discovery/recommendations engine- they could p…

How is Netflix not at the mercy of major movie studios? Their originals, while popular, are not a proven business model. No tech company to my knowledge has proven that taking content 'in house' improves the bottom line, yet. Pandora attempted to get into tickets and I don't think that went well although I am not sure a true stratechery style analysis of that has ever been done to my knowledge.