[skunark]

IMO, Spotify's Facebook integration is a minus.  Only way you can sign up is via FB.  So they force you to register for FB to use their service, which I'm staunchly against.

You don't need facebook to sign up, there's a link right below asking if you want to sign up with an email address.   

[geowak]

I've gotten used to MOG and found much music to enjoy. The Mobile App on Iphone gets confused sometimes and sometimes the desktop MAC App will stutter. I wish they would fix those bugs. Also often cannot connect to server, but I have about 556 albums in my favs, maybe that's the problem.

[Bob in St. Louis]

I resisted the Spotify recommendations from my friends due to the Facebook thing too.
But then, after a few months of their badgering, I discovered you do not have to be a Facebook member to join Spotify.

Since then, I've been a Spotify member (free) for a few months now, and absolutely LOVE IT.

I think what's happening, is that my friends were sending me the link via some Facebook thing, so of course it was giving me the impression that I had to do both, which isn't true.
Go directly through Google to find Spotify and sign up. Trust me, once you get music playing you'll wish you'd have done it sooner.

Bob

[mtruong34]

It was a hard requirement when I signed up.  Apparently they have finally listened to their customers and lifted this requirement late 2012


http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2012/120904spotify

[JohnLL]

I am a MOG fan. Last time I checked, over a year ago, they handily beat Spotify SQ. I have no opinion re today nor who has the most albums. However all is not well in MOG land. I am a classical music fan and have over 1200 albums play listed. This fall I started to notice albums disappearing- maybe 40 to date but there are probably many more i have not found yet. MOG does not have an open forum in which you ask a question and others see the question and response. They like things private. Their response to my inquire re missing albums was polite "corporate" stuff. To be fair to MOG I have noticed a number of 2113 releases in their lineup.
I wonder if Spotify users have the same experience. FWIW this summer MOG was bought by Beats whose main business is car and inexpensive audio equipment.

[raysracing]

The only complaint I have with Spotify (which I love, love, love, bit not for audiophiole reasons) is that at louder volume levels the hiss is so apparent I end up losing the "moment" and turning it down. I run Spotify to my stereo multiple ways (iphone ot ATV, airplay to ATV, Optical on MB pro or USB  and ALL through my DacMagic) but in the end it always ends hissy in the end.

[wushuliu]

I am a MOG fan. Last time I checked, over a year ago, they handily beat Spotify SQ. I have no opinion re today nor who has the most albums. However all is not well in MOG land. I am a classical music fan and have over 1200 albums play listed. This fall I started to notice albums disappearing- maybe 40 to date but there are probably many more i have not found yet. MOG does not have an open forum in which you ask a question and others see the question and response. They like things private. Their response to my inquire re missing albums was polite "corporate" stuff. To be fair to MOG I have noticed a number of 2113 releases in their lineup.
I wonder if Spotify users have the same experience. FWIW this summer MOG was bought by Beats whose main business is car and inexpensive audio equipment.

+1 MOG for sound quality. Although there is no advertised forum there is a comment page(s) where MOG staff also answer questions. I imagine like other streaming media albums are licensed for only a set amount of time, which varies depending on the artist/album etc. and once expired the material is pulled.

Mediocrity almost always wins so I expect MOG may lose out to Spotify - which was released earlier and quickly locked up key sponsorships - but for the time being as far as pure SQ, MOG is very impressive.

[raysracing]

I just tried Mog. I was listening to Beck's Sea Change in Spotify then signed up for Mog and played the same song and it took about 0.2 second to hear the difference. Looks like Mog is my new streaming service.

[krisstack]

I've tried Pandora, MOG and Spotify, all with premium services.  My thoughts on each.

Pandora -  poorest SQ but the new music engine is the best I've seen
MOG - excellent SQ and library.  Had to cancel because my workplace blocks.
Spotify - SQ and library is on par with MOG.  The new music (radio) engine is not very good.  It keeps playing the same artists and songs over and over again.  I've never really discovered new artists or songs using Spotify's radio.  However, Spotify has a really nice international music library.

That's interesting - they block MOG,  but not other streaming music services?  What's the justification?  I can understand not allowing any streaming services, but picking some and not others doesn't make sense.  For full disclosure, I manage the IT infrastructure for a financial firm.

[krisstack]

I've been a MOG user (premium account) for a couple years.  When it comes to quality, I thought it was best whenever I've done comparisons.  I use it extensively on my iPhone, both streaming, and and saved locally for times I'm driving in the car through areas with miserable wireless coverage.  I also use it at home with Sonos.  I was first turned on to it by Chris Connaker at Computer Audiophile, and I'm forever grateful .  I find it useful for checking out new albums that people recommend, then buy them if I really like it.  While the sound quality is good, a lossless file is better when played through my system at home.  Also find it useful for building gym playlists of current pop music that are good to workout to, but I wouldn't purchase.  I think the selection is good for Rock, Pop, and Country, but not as good for Jazz and especially weak for Classical.  Hence my usage more on the iPhone and as background music on Sonos at home.

I'm also a fan of Pandora, and have been a user since 2005.  I think it provides a better mix of random songs, related to another song or artist, than the artist radio feature in MOG.  And for $36/year, I like supporting what I consider one of the pioneers.  I used to subscribe to the old Napster service.  Started as a free trial when I first got a Sonos, but I liked the feature they had that allowed one to search historical Billboard charts.  I could look up the Billboard chart for the top Jazz albums in the Fall of 1966 and put it my queue to play on my Sonos.  Just thought that was so neat.  I never used on any other device, but I miss it.  I wish MOG had that feature, but they only list the current top 50, and I'm not even sure it is the Billboard chart.  Once they merged with Rhapsody, that feature was lost.  Canceled my subscription first month after the merger.  I did try Rhapsody too when I first got the Sonos, but I thought it didn't sound as good, nor was the selection as good.  Neither of them sounded anywhere as good MOG does.

I've also recently played around with Sonza, and find their concept of playlist curation interesting- a completely different take then Pandora.  It isn't great sound quality, but since it is free I don't complain as much.  I use it mostly on the Sonos, but they do have an iPhone app too.

[WC]

That's interesting - they block MOG,  but not other streaming music services?  What's the justification?  I can understand not allowing any streaming services, but picking some and not others doesn't make sense.  For full disclosure, I manage the IT infrastructure for a financial firm.

Yeah, my workplace blocks all the music streaming services when used over the computer, but they don't block it over Wi-fi. I just use my phone over wi-fi. I generally download the albums I want to listen to to the phone mainly because I dislike cutouts and rebuffering of audio which can happen over wi-fi.