We7 unveils iPhone app

UK-based Spotify rival We7 has launched an iPhone app allowing users to stream music on the go.

Thursday, 25 February 2010

The app will be made available to those who pay £9.99 a month for the upcoming Premium Plus subscription, which lets users listen to music streams without ads.

Now that Apple has approved the offering, it will go live on March 1st.

Similar to Spotify's own mobile app, We7's product allows users to take advantage of an offline mode that means they do not have to be connected to the internet to listen to music, as long as it has been cached on their handset.

Currently, We7 offers another ad-free option, priced £4.99 a month, for those who use their PCs to stream music - but this subscription will not include access to mobile streams.

This is unlike Spotify's tariffs, which are set at free for ad supported streams, 99p for a day pass and £9.99 a month for ad-free listening including mobile access.

We7 says it intends to launch apps for other mobile platforms, including Android and BlackBerry devices, in the future.

The company inserts ads into free music streams using its own MediaGraft technology, which automatically attaches ads to the start of each song.

It says that the technology also creates advertising investory that "links the emotional power of music, creative short audio adverts and digital display ads", thus increasing their effectiveness.