Spotify-Sony Deal close

WE HAVE MOVEMENT: At the end of a week of media coverage about the difficulties Spotify has faced in its efforts to launch a U.S. service, there has been a breakthrough, the N.Y. Post’s Claire Atkinson reports. According to her sources, the company, led by 27-year-old Swedish entrepreneur Daniel Ek, is “days away” from signing its first deal—with Sony Music. "Spotify is launching in the US, for sure," one executive said. "They've got the deals now." A Spotify spokesman told Atkinson, "Negotiations are progressing well, but [we have] nothing to confirm at this stage." She also notes that the service, a big hit across Europe, has piqued the interest of both Apple and Google, which have held talks with Spotify about partnerships. Stay tuned. (1/14a)