Surge in Spotify subscribers makes it twice as big as Apple Music

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Spotify
You won't have to listen to music you don't like.
Photo: Jim Merithew/Cult of Mac

Apple Music doesn’t appear to be slowing Spotify’s growth at all, based on the number of paid subscribers the rival streaming service has added in 2016.

During the iPhone 7 event, Apple boasted that it has 17 million paid subscribers. Spotify CEO Daniel Ek fired shots back on Twitter this morning, revealing his company has more than twice as many paid music listeners.

Spotify last reported that it had 30 million paid subscribers in March. It was also the first music streamer to hit 100 million active users total this summer. Tidal, the competing streaming service run by rapper Jay Z, is burning through cash and yet had only lured 4.2 million subscribers by June, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The big boost in subscriptions could be due to Spotify’s new Family Plans that match Apple Music’s rate, giving up to six members access for a total of $15 per month.

Spotify also has a free tier that draws in a lot of new users. Apple Music gives users a three-month free trial before charging $10 per month for an individual account. Apple’s service has relied heavily on music exclusives to boost subscribers, angering a lot of record labels in the process.

Despite the high number of paid subscribers, Spotify is still struggling to become a profitable company, even though investors are hoping it will go public soon.

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