Last.fm: We don't view Spotify as a rival

Last.fm - a popular music service
Last.fm - a popular music service

Last.fm's CFO Ryan Regan has told TechRadar that the popular music service views Spotify as a collaborator rather than a rival.

Regan, speaking at the Xbox Collectives launch party said that, although the two services sometimes sound similar, he believed that the major link was that both companies focus on the user.

"I think there's a lot more cooperation between Last.fm and Spotify than there is competition and internally we find the services very complimentary," said Regan.

Scrobbling fun

"An example is the first feature Spotify developed based on their user feedback was to allow users to 'scrobble' back to Last.fm

"That was something that was done outside of any discussions with Last.fm because their users wanted their Last.fm profiles to be updated with what they were listening to on Spotify and that's a great example of how the services are complimentary.

"As far as competition goes I think both companies are focused on the user and both companies do slightly different things even though they sound the same at times."

Big step for Last.fm

Regan was at the launch to see Last.fm join big names like Twitter, Zune and Facebook on the Xbox 360 games console.

"We couldn't be more excited about it," added Regan. "Even though we have large community its not as large as we'd like it to be still, so tapping into Xbox and their passionate users is a great fit and will enrich the Last.fm community of 35 million plus."

"This deal is a validation of what Last.fm's built - that Xbox wanted us to be a partner."

Patrick Goss

Patrick Goss is the ex-Editor in Chief of TechRadar. Patrick was a passionate and experienced journalist, and he has been lucky enough to work on some of the finest online properties on the planet, building audiences everywhere and establishing himself at the forefront of digital content.  After a long stint as the boss at TechRadar, Patrick has now moved on to a role with Apple, where he is the Managing Editor for the App Store in the UK.

Latest in Spotify
A band playing live against a bright bank of lights, with the crowd in front of them
I'm a working musician, and as Spotify says it's not to blame for how little artists make from streaming, here's how you can really support your favorite bands
Spotify logo on a mobile device
Spotify's AI-narrated audiobooks have me worried for the future of music
A women wearing blue headphones against a pink tiled wall
More details of Spotify's new Music Pro plan have leaked – including the price
Spotify logo on a mobile device
Spotify HiFi: release date rumors, price predictions, and everything we know so far
Metalic Spotify Logo
Spotify seems to be gearing up for more expensive subscriptions, and I'm annoyed
Hand holding a phone with the Spotify app logo
Spotify will 'double down' on music in 2025, but does that mean Hi-Fi or AI?
Latest in News
Google Pixel 9 Pro
Here are the 7 best Pixel 9 and Pixel Watch 3 features landing in March’s Pixel Feature Drop
Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000C Saint Laurent Rive Droite Edition
Bang & Olufsen's latest reworked turntable is a masterpiece of retro revival, in a breathtaking wooden presentation box
Apple Watch Series 10
Apple unveils new Apple Watch bands – here's what's in the Spring 2025 collection
iPad Air M3
Apple makes one hardware change to the iPad Air that might be the best indicator of its true lightweight tablet intentions
Shure MoveMic 88+ lifestyle image
Shure's tiny MoveMic 88+ gives creators a cheap and easy way to record crystal clear audio on a smartphone
An operator fires a saw blade from a weapon
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Season 3 gets two-week delay, will now release in April