Streaming giant Spotify’s history shows a company that rose from nothing to take on Apple — and won. Well, kind of. At least, that’s the story that may be told in a new screen adaptation of Spotify’s rise to prominence.
While it’s not yet in production, the UK division of Swedish film and TV company Yellow Bird (the company behind the Swedish Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) just acquired the adaptation rights to the recent book Spotify Untold.
Think of it as The Social Network, only about the world of streaming music.
The proposed TV drama is being presented as a David vs. Goliath story in which Apple are the established giant.
Book author Jonas Leijonhufvud said of the TV deal: “We’re very excited. The rise of Spotify is one of the greatest stories to come out of Sweden in the past ten years. It’s a saga of a young founder who came out of nowhere and beat Apple at their own game.”
But is it accurate?
Whether it’s totally accurate to cast Spotify in those terms is up for debate. For one thing, it’s not “beaten” Apple in any meaningful sense. While Spotify remains ahead in current number of users, it’s not yet managing to making enough money to be profitable in the long run. Apple Music, meanwhile, remains incredibly popular among users. It’s also worth noting that Apple Music launched considerably later than Spotify.
Still, it’s a compelling story. The book casts Apple as the established titan. One strange anecdote (which hasn’t been verified) includes a moment when Steve Jobs supposedly called up Spotify founder Daniel Ek. Jobs supposedly breathed menacingly down the phone before hanging up.
Would you be interested in a Spotify vs. Apple movie? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: Complete Music Update
