11 Things Spotify Needs to Win the Online Music War

Tips for our favorite streaming service as the battle heats up.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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The battle for online music supremacy is in full swing. Between Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, Rdio, Slacker, Rhapsody, and a few others, competition is fierce, and it's only getting more intense. Like any other business, anyone in the market has a fair shot at success, but since Spotify's American debut two summers ago, its shown a serious capacity to dominate the online music industry.

Personally, we're big fans of Spotify at Complex. The streaming service has anchored features like our 50 Best Songs of 2012 and Kendrick Lamar's 25 Favorite Albums lists, but there's still room for growth. Last year, Spotify became the second biggest source of revenue for record labels, so it's definitely not going anywhere, but we think the service can have an even bigger 2013—especially if certain features are added or improved upon.

After logging hours of obsessive library management and endless play counts, it's safe to say that we're very familiar with Spotify. Here's what we'd like to see happen with the streaming service, sooner than later: 11 Things Spotify Needs to Win the Online Music War.

RELATED: The Most Streamed Songs on Spotify for 2012
RELATED: The 100 Best Albums Streaming on Spotify Right Now

Stop letting other services get big exclusives.

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Give explicit versions equal billing.

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Add a repeat option.

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Expand the library.

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Make the business model clearer.

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Introduce a web app.

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Update new releases quicker.

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Make social integration smoother.

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Improve shuffle quality.

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Get rid of amateur cover versions.

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Improve the range and accuracy of song info.

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