Travel Technology - Why is Spotify freely available in Europe, but invite only in the US?

Is the reason a capacity issue or legal?

marketing, pure and simple.
Much like Google+
Think of it like the Emperors new clothes :P

OK, but why can't people in America just go to, for instance, http://www.spotify.com/fr/ and download the player? Or use a VPN? Or grab it while visiting Europe?

The one problem is that the free version in Europe only allows for 20 hours of music streaming, whereas the US version allows for unlimited.

They are using the invite system to tie in with promotions from companies like GM. People who don't want to wait for an invite and get in right away when they sign up for the paid plans.

Brilliant marketing if you ask me.

Don't worry, you don't need to be first. It will be open as Facebook very soon...

OK, but why can't people in America just go to, for instance, http://www.spotify.com/fr/ and download the player? Or use a VPN? Or grab it while visiting Europe?

All of those will work as long as you can convince it that you're in that country in Europe - and have worked since it was first launched.

But when you log in to the player and it sees you as being outside of Europe, it will not work. You would always need to keep your VPN connected to use it.

The one problem is that the free version in Europe only allows for 20 hours of music streaming, whereas the US version allows for unlimited.

I registered my account through UK proxy and then changed my country to US. I thought that everyone in the US had the 20 hours/month max unless they pony up for a monthly subscription?

Is the reason a capacity issue or legal?

It's marketing. In Europe they started with invite-only, then they opened invitations in the user accounts (up to 10 users) and finally it was open for everyone.

They also changed the way the accounts worked along the time. First your account was unlimited time with voice ads, then that was only for first-time accounts and new accounts would only have 20h month services and nowadays everyone gets only 20h month unless they pay for subscriptions.

I bet they'll do the same in the US but since you have some other services they will prolly modify the offers a bit.

All of those will work as long as you can convince it that you're in that country in Europe - and have worked since it was first launched.

But when you log in to the player and it sees you as being outside of Europe, it will not work. You would always need to keep your VPN connected to use it.
You don't need to have a proxy connected full time anymore. I signed up with a UK proxy and use my US connection with the software.

Coca-Cola has a Spotify offer that might speed up things:
http://www.spotify.com/us/coca-cola/

You don't need to have a proxy connected full time anymore. I signed up with a UK proxy and use my US connection with the software.

+1. No problems using the free UK Spotify in multiple countries without a UK proxy. You just need it for the signup.

Coca-Cola has a Spotify offer that might speed up things:
http://www.spotify.com/us/coca-cola/

Just found this on Slickdeals. Registered, created account, downloaded, installed, started using - all within 5 minutes. Then came here to let others know ... and notice you'd already done so.

Good catch.

Here's your answer, all you who want Spotify in the US. ^

Put in a request on friday, invite arrived in my mailbox on Wednesday, so they are starting to process US requests!

I've got some invites to share, drop me a PM with your e-mail address. First come first serve.

Agreed, got my invite too! Looks pretty neat.

I registered my account through UK proxy and then changed my country to US. I thought that everyone in the US had the 20 hours/month max unless they pony up for a monthly subscription?

I thought so too. I used the Coke sign-up, so it's a US account, but I've only got 20 hours too (less now!).

I registered my account through UK proxy and then changed my country to US. I thought that everyone in the US had the 20 hours/month max unless they pony up for a monthly subscription?

I think for all the current spotify users in the USA, invites, promos, etc., they get a TASTE of unlimited browser based streaming for the first six months. One DOES need to pony up for mobile access though.

It's not marketing specifically but due to the nature of their contracts with the record labels. They have a fairly onerous cost structure and are thus trying to limit the growth of the site until they have a better handle on costs.

Record label deals have to be done on a per-country basis, so it's a rather big problem for them since the US contracts are far less generous than the deals they struck earlier with various labels' EU entities.

Since spotify is nagging me to invite someone from the US:

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First come and so on..

But you really should pay for it. The price in the us is about 50% lower than in Norway. And well worth it.