Spotify, Heading North

In 2009, the music streaming service, Spotify, hinted that they might be interested in coming to Canada…and until very recently this remained nothing more than a tease.It was earlier this year that Spotify announced that they would be slowly rolling out beta invites to a select few Canadians, but it wasn't until this week that they officially crossed the border. For good.But first things first- what is Spotify and why is everyone freaking out about it?Spotify is the In-N-Out of the music world. We've been hearing stories from south of the border, but until now it's been nothing but myth.Founded by two young Swedes in 2008, Spotify aimed to eclipse all other music streaming services, doing so with one main selling point: they could make music social again. Through their service, you can listen to friends' playlists, or follow your favorite musicians and celebrities, from Daft Punk to Barack Obama. All for free*.Another amazing feature built in to the app is Spotify Radio, which allows users to explore music that Spotify’s taste algorithms think you will like. And they are shockingly good at figuring your music taste out.If you have ever had the chance to play with this service in the US or in Europe, you will know that it quickly evolves from a music streaming app to an all out obsession, swallowing hours of time as listeners meticulously put together the perfect playlist. And with over 20 million songs and 40 million users, Spotify prides itself on making it "easy to find the right music for every moment."What separates Spotify from the crowd (Songza, Pandora, 8tracks, Hype Machine, etc.) is that they do what everyone else does, but they do it better. With a larger selection of music than Pandora Radio, and smarter song suggestions than any other competitor, Spotify is already light-years ahead of the pack. This isn't even taking into account its gorgeous, easy to use layout, or unique social aspects. It is the Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook of music streaming.Download Spotify today by visiting www.spotify.com/ca-en/ and enjoy it on your laptop, tablet, or phone. It puts iTunes to shame.*Spotify comes with ads. Sorry. But you can get rid of them as well as download your own playlists to listen offline by upgrading to premium for $12.99/month.Yours Creatively,Nick Perry, Online Contributor