Facebook account no longer needed for Spotify log-in in Germany

As of today, new Spotify users in Germany no longer need a Facebook account to sign up for the music player's service.

German music fans can now access the service armed with just an email address and a username. But the existing Facebook log-in details will remain in place, "for easy access to a truly social music experience," a Spotify spokeswoman said.

Germany isn't exactly a prime market for Spotify or Facebook, carrying less than 30 percent of its population on the social network, according to analytics company SocialBakers.

"We are introducing this new sign-up option in order to offer non-Facebook-connected users in Germany a choice of ways to access Spotify," the Spotify spokeswoman said.

Last autumn, Spotify and Facebook teamed up to bring music discovery to social network users -- by broadcasting your listening habits to your Facebook friends.

But when users' sometimes-embarrassing playlists began popping up on their public Facebook timelines, outrage ensued. A week later, the companies implemented the Spotify "private listening" feature, allowing users to hide guilty-pleasure playlists from Facebook.

There is no word on whether the new sign-up feature will be rolled out to other countries yet, but a spokeswoman said the company remains "absolutely committed to our global strategic partnership with Facebook."

The news comes shortly after Spotify launched a brand-new version of its Android app complete with a faster interface, support for Android 4.0, high-res artist images, and more.

Germany, meanwhile, is no stranger to privacy debates; last year, Google voluntarily opted out of enlarging its Street View program within Germany amidst privacy debates with regulators.

Published under license from Ziff Davis, Inc., New York, All rights reserved. Copyright ? 2012 Ziff Davis, Inc

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