Spotify Releases iPad App at Last, With New Sonic Exploration Features

Smart features make Spotify’s new iPad app a great way to explore music.
Screenshot courtesy Spotify

By Eliot Van Buskirk, Evolver.fm

When we finally saw Spotify’s new iPad app in the company’s New York City offices this week, we breathed a sigh of relief on behalf of all the breathless Spotify fans who have been demanding its release.

A web search for “iPad Spotify app” on the eve of the announcement revealed millions of matches, including at least one for a Facebook group dedicated to pressuring Spotify into releasing a native iPad app. Some even called for a boycott of the service, making it clear that this relatively young company, whose goal is to become “the OS of music,” is already inspiring Apple-like adoration — and the accompanying petulant demands — from the public at large.

From what we saw, we don’t imagine they will be disappointed when they download this thing starting today. Spotify’s new iPad app doesn’t include any whiz-bang features, such as navigating music in a 3-D map, running third-party apps, or anything like that. But it’s well suited to the iPad’s large screen and Retina display, taking advantage of the extra space, deeper color palette and higher resolution without departing so far as to confuse or alienate users.  Read More