New U2 album exclusively on Spotify

By Nate Lanxon on 23 February 2009, 10:51am

In a move best described as the most epic of all wins, Spotify has secured the exclusive rights to stream for free U2's long-awaited 12th album, No Line On The Horizon, in the UK and Spain, a full week before its official CD release.

U2 need no introduction, but Spotify may well, and that's what makes this win so much more epic. Spotify is the Swedish start-up we've been praising and loving for months, and streams a massive catalogue of music from all four major labels and a roster of indies, absolutely free.

To snag U2's latest album, which has received rave reviews from the likes of Rolling Stone, Spin and The Observer, as not only an exclusive, but an exclusive to a non-US start-up, is an admirable bolstering of the service as a major player in the streaming music world.

Spotify also recently signed deals with Naxos -- one of the largest classical music labels in the world -- adding 100,000 classical music tracks to the service.

Deals with Naxos and exclusives from heavyweights U2 speak volumes about Spotify's target audience: music fans of all ages, not just freeloading teeny boppers.

If you're in the UK, hit up Spotify's special U2 page here.