In the biggest act of tech-valley hubris since Apple Maps, Sony has been refusing to do business with Spotify, insisting its PlayStation Network users opt for its own streaming-music service, Music Unlimited, instead. But now the company has agreed to shutter Music Unlimited to make way for Spotify on its PlayStation consoles as well as its smartphones and tablets.
According to Variety, Sony has announced PlayStation Music, a partnership with Spotify that will make the streaming service’s 30 million songs available to Sony’s 64 million active users. Sony said Music Unlimited will be available until March 29, and PlayStation Music will available in the spring, but no date was announced. The move is a win for both companies, freeing Sony from Music Unlimited, which has failed to catch on since its 2010 launch, and giving Spotify access to a massive network of potential paid subscribers. For Spotify, this is pretty much like getting a crack at the Glengarry leads.
As an added bonus, PS4 owners will be able to listen to PlayStation Music during gameplay, allowing users to access the nu-metal playlists requisite to a totally extreme, legit bananas Call Of Duty session. The custom soundtrack capability also opens the door to entirely new forms of gameplay. For example, in Grand Theft Auto 5, it will now be possible to direct the characters to one of the game’s many clothing boutiques, then force them to participate in hilarious “trying on new clothes” montages set to “Dress You Up” by Madonna, or “Try Me On” by Karmin, or even “New Attitude” by Patti LaBelle. The possibilities, while not endless, are certainly robust.