Spotify suspends music download service

Spotify

UPDATE: Spotify has confirmed it has stopped offering downloads: "We recently updated Spotify to further simplify the service and pave the way for new features announced at the end of last year.

In-app purchases aren't part of this update but we're not ruling out their return. Credits/gift cards already purchased are still redeemable."

Did you know you can buy music downloads from Spotify? Well you can't any more, after Spotify this morning suspended the music store section of its service.

Spotted by Pocket-lint, try to buy a track through Spotify and you're now met by the message, "We're no longer supporting new download purchases on Spotify".

The Spotify website confirms this information in a post on the FAQ section under Music purchases. You can still use downloads you've already purchased or outstanding gift cards.

Spotify is of course primarily a music streaming service and this is still working just fine at the time of writing.

The company added music purchases to the site in March 2009, initially powered by 7digital.

It remains to be seen whether Spotify is ditching this arm of the service, changing music provider or someting else altogether.

Last month Spotify revealed a new design, new features and the addition of the Metallica back catalogue.

More to follow.

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Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is the Content Director for What Hi-Fi? and Future’s Product Testing, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for almost 20 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).