Spotify expands with World Trade Center move

Spotify on Wednesday announced an expansion amid the rapid growth of streaming, with the company moving its US headquarters to New York's rebuilt World Trade Center complex.

The Swedish company, which is the world's largest streaming service, will create 1,000 jobs and retain 832 existing ones as it moves early next year, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

Spotify, whose US operation is already in Manhattan, will shift to the Fumihiko Maki-designed 4 World Trade Center which will become the first fully leased tower at the site rebuilt after the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.

Spotify, whose general counsel Horacio Gutierrez said that New York gave the company "access to the most diverse talent market in the world," will benefit from some $11 million in state support to encourage the move.

Streaming—which allows unlimited, on-demand music—has been rapidly growing around the world. In the United States, subscriptions to Spotify and its rivals more than doubled last year alone.

To celebrate the announcement, Cuomo became the latest politician to release his own playlist on Spotify.

While less known for his pop culture bona fides than playlist creators such as former president Barack Obama, Cuomo picked multiple songs by Billy Joel, a New York native known to be the governor's friend.

Cuomo also picked a range of songs with New York themes including "Empire State of Mind" by Jay Z and Alicia Keys, U2's "Angel of Harlem," Bob Dylan's early song "Talkin' New York" and the original version of "Downtown Train" by Tom Waits.

© 2017 AFP