FAMILY AFFAIR

It didn’t take long for Spotify to react to Apple’s reveal that it would offer a family plan for its premium streaming service at $14.99 a month for up to six people. Spotify and Rdio’s U.S. family plans are presently priced at $14.99 for two people or $29.99 for five.

"We already have similar family pricing in some markets and we expect to offer competitive pricing everywhere in the near future," Jonathan Price, Spotify's global head of communications and public policy, told The Verge, which is widely viewed as Spotify’s bully pulpit. Price noted that in Sweden, the service charges roughly $20 a month for a family of five.

The Verge’s Ben Popper then did some speculating/spinning.

“This leaves a big question: did Apple negotiate an incredible deal with the music labels?” Popper wrote. “Or did it decide to spend some of the $150 billion in cash it has in the bank to subsidize a very generous package? If the industry reacts by matching Apple's prices, does that mean the labels are simply willing to offer consumers a better deal, or is Apple forcing its competitors to further trim their already very thin margins? It's worth noting the deal is very similar to one previously offered by Beats Music in partnership with AT&T.”