“Spotify’s licensing negotiations with the major music labels have reverted back to square one, Billboard.biz has learned from multiple sources. Having failed to persuade the major record labels to go along with its vision for a U.S. version of the popular European service, Spotify in the last month has approached the labels with a clean slate to determine what type of service would be possible to launch before the end of the year.”
“Earlier this month, [Spotify CEO Daniel] Ek reiterated his claim that the service is on track for launching before the end of the year, but also hinted that he’d delay it into next year if that’s what was required to ensure Spotify launched under the model he envisions. But Billboard’s sources say Spotify is open to short-term deals that would allow it to launch a framework of the service by the end of this year, designed to evolve over time as the in-dispute elements are revisited.”
Billboard: “Sources: Spotify Reboots U.S. Label Negotiations,” 7.29.10
