If you've signed up for Spotify but don't have the spare cash for a premium subscription, good news: the Verge reports that a new feature called Jump In is in testing, intended to give non-paying users more on-demand songs.
It would let those on a free plan access certain "on-demand features", but only in specific playlists, anonymous insiders say. In other words you'd be freed from the shuffle-only limitation in a number of playlists picked by Spotify.
Spotify isn't commenting at the moment but the report's source is reputable enough for this to count as more than a speculative rumor. It would certainly be an appealing way of tempting more users into the free plan.
Facing the music
The biggest problem Spotify is likely to have with implementing Jump In is getting the record labels to go along with the plan - many music publishers would rather there wasn't a free tier at all, as they don't get very much money for it.
However, the free tier is essential in getting people used to Spotify and eventually turning them into paying subscribers, Spotify has always argued. Music listening was much simpler back in the days of buying big discs of vinyl...
Apparently negotiations with the record labels are already underway and if they go smoothly then Jump In could roll out "in the next few weeks". Keep your eyes on your apps.
