Spotify free streaming finally comes to Windows Phone

Music streaming service Spotify has been available on Microsoft’s Windows Phone handsets for some time, but only for paying subscribers – until today, that is. The company has made its free, ad-supported service available on the platform for the first time, bringing it alongside the existing iOS and Android apps.

Both Android and iOS have had free, ad-supported streaming since December last year, but Windows Phone users were forced to spend £9.99 per month on the full subscription if they wanted to listedn while on the move. Now, Windows Phone can stream for free using the shuffle play mode, with the company revealing the update via the official Spotify blog over the weekend.

Users will be able to access their saved playlists and shuffle tracks based on albums or artists, but will be limited to a set number of skips per hour and won’t be able to listen to specific songs on demand. You’ll also be able to browse for other user-created playlists, or search by mood or genre.

“We’re excited to see Spotify made available for free on Windows Phone,” Microsoft’s corporate VP Steve Guggenheimer said of the announcement. “This puts a much-loved listening experience in the hands of Windows Phone fans across the world, and beautifully showcases both our platform and the Spotify service.”

As well as add free music streaming, Spotify has also updated the Windows Phone app with better search result display and simpler ways to discover new music.

The updated app is available to buy now through the Windows Phone store.