Last.fm Switches Off Subscription Radio, Scrobbler App Now The Mainstay

In their decade long run, Last.fm has seen many ups and downs. In late 2012 the popular Internet radio service was cutting back its scale and turned to paid-only subscriptions. They next warmed up to Spotify and teamed up to include their app in Spotify's portfolio. The latest news is that their radio streaming service will no longer be available as of 28th of April 2014. Instead, scrobbling, music discovery, and recommendations are their new direction.

The simple blog announcement made by Last.fm indicates that the forced changes are a result of the shifting music landscape. In lay terms, their traditional subscriber radio will cease to function on any platform or device. Those with an iOS device can download the Scrobbler app and use it to build their own Last.fm powered playlists from the music already in their device's library.

The new Last.fm Player will continue to support your favorite stations and favorite tracks can be heard using the recently launched on-demand playback feature via Spotify. Sonos and Logitech Squeezebox devices that currently support scrobble, will continue to do so till these manufacturers decide to ditch it.

Those disappointed with these new changes have the option of cancelling their Last.fm subscription and need to follow some basic steps and then request a refund. To sum it up, Last.fm will now depend upon third-party providers for stream music rather their own setup.

VIA: Engadget