No more constant flipping between iTunes and Facebook! There’s been a lot of talk on the web lately about Facebook teaming up with Swedish DRM-based music streaming service Spotify. Facebook will be a hub for sharing and listening to music in the same way that photos and videos are shared on the social network.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This Facebook integration move could put the site in direct competition with Apple’s iTunes service which chose to partner with Twitter for social integration. The music service would most likely be announced on September 22, the date of Facebook’s F8 Developer Conference.

To those familiar with Facebook, it has been said that you will be able to see the Spotify icon to the left of their newsfeed among the usual icons. If you are wanting to make use of Spotify on Facebook, it will install the service on your desktop allowing you to play from Spotify’s library of millions of tracks through Facebook, the music itself would still be delivered through the third-party service, which users would be required to log in to before listening.

According to sources, on this application it will show your friends using Spotify, clicking on a friend will display their published playlists which other users can stream. It will allow Facebook users to simultaneously listen to songs with friends and share playlists over the network, only if one desires to, the privacy settings will allow you to change who can view and listen to your playlists.

This isn’t the only rumor going around about Facebook changes to come: sources say Warner Bros. movie studio in recent months has begun renting movies on Facebook. Similar to these music sharing rumours, users can watch the movies on Facebook, but they are delivered by third parties. Sadly, according to sources, the new Facebook-Spotify affiliation will be available only in those countries where Spotify currently operates, meaning that potential SA customers will still have to wait.

 

Source: Forbes, WSJ, Insidefacebook