Spotify‘s European head of label relations, Kevin Brown, told a British music publication that Spotify has gained one-million listeners in the U.K. over the past four months. Brown further noted: “”Some of our partners are saying Spotify is now generating more revenue each month across Continental Europe than iTunes.”
This data point is spawning headlines that Spotify is bigger than iTunes in Europe. It’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, since iTunes does not operate a Spotify-like on-demand service, and does not distribute iTunes Radio in Britain.
The point, though, is about revenue. (No financial details accompanied Brown’s remarks.) As such, it is really a double point: first, that Spotify is enjoying significant uptake in the U.K. and Europe, and second, that streaming is continuing to eat into declining download sales.
A more head-to-head comparison would be Spotify and Deezer, the two leading European streamers.