![Game, set, and match. Corbin Atchley, sophomore, high fives Sanam Sidhu, freshman, after a rally with other club members. “I just joined [the club],” Sidhu said. “[I heard about it] on Instagram, they always post about it, I’ve been wanting to come. My parents used to play [net sports] too and they taught us, and then I learned from my brother.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/MG_7715-2-1200x800.jpg)
![At the bottom of the third inning, the Lions are still scoreless. Rowe stands at home plate, preparing to bat, while Vandenbrink stands off to the side as the next batter up. Despite having the bases loaded, the team was unable to score any runs. “It’s just the beginning of the season. We’re just going to be playing out best by June, [and] that’s where champions are,” Rowe said.](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_3077-1200x900.jpg)
![The teams prepare to start another play with just a few minutes left in the first half. The Lions were in the lead at halftime with a score of 27-0. At half time, the team went back to the locker rooms. “[We ate] orange slices,” Malos said. “[Then] our team came out and got the win.”](https://wlhsnow.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG_2385-1200x800.jpg)
When I hear the phrase “free music,” I automatically assume it’s illegal, a scam, or both. Rarely do I come across something where it’s none of these. Spotify is really “free music.”
Spotify gives you access to over 15 million songs. It’s like taking the iTunes Store and making it free. You may ask yourself, “How in the world is this possible?” It’s possible because instead of downloading the music, you’re streaming it. In fact, it’s very similar to Rhapsody. The difference is that Spotify is free (there are also paid versions of Spotify which offer features like mobile Spotify and taking your music abroad). It is super awesome. Users don’t have to pay because small ads appear frequently. But they aren’t too bad.
The main feature of Spotify is the large amount of music that users have access to; however, other features you receive depend on the payment package. With Spotify Free, users gain access to all of the tracks, but there is a monthly time limit of 10 hours and songs can only be played up to five times. When you first sign up for Spotify, the time limit is removed for the first six months.
There are two paid options for Spotify. First, there’s Spotify Unlimited ($4.99 per month), which removes ads and time limits, provides a radio and adds the ability to take your music abroad (using Spotify while in a different country). Second, there’s Spotify Premium ($9.99 per month), which includes all of the features listed before plus access via a mobile device, offline mode for both a computer and a mobile device, enhanced sound quality, exclusive content and the ability to play Spotify through music systems such as Squeezebox.
Not only do users have the ability to listen to music for hours on end, Spotify helps users discover new music through friends. With a Facebook account, users can share music with friends, look at others’ playlists and subscribe to others’ playlists.
I listen to a lot of music. I want a program that allows me to listen to music for hours and to easily share great music with friends. Luckily, I can do that now and enjoy some other cool features. Spotify can downloaded for free at: http://spotify.com/us/ .
