Spotify launch new features with Metallica's help (pictures)

Spotify unveiled a new look for its service in New York today with the help of an unlikely pairing: Lars Ulrich from Metallica and Napster's Sean Parker.

Ty Pendlebury

Ty Pendlebury is a journalism graduate of RMIT Melbourne, and has worked at CNET since 2006. He lives in New York City where he writes about streaming and home audio.

See full bio

Ty Pendlebury

Dec. 6, 2012 5:44 p.m. PT

1 of 6 Ty Pendlebury/CBS interactive

Spotify launches new look, adds Metallica

Spotify unveiled a new browser-based streaming service in New York today while also announcing the Metallica back-catalog was immediately available to stream.

Spotify head Daniel Ek announced the new features, which will appear over the next month or so, AND include Follow, Audio Previews, and The Collection.

The Audio Preview feature will let you hear new music without erasing the playlist you've made, while Follow allows you to add friends or artists and listen to their playlists. Of interest to album lovers will be the ability to view your collection as albums with cover art rather than as a lengthy list.

Ek said a full cross-platform upgrade will be coming early in 2013.

2 of 6 Ty Pendlebury/CBS interactive

...And Justice For All

Daniel Ek gives the thumbs-up to Metallica's Lars Ulrich as he goes in for the hug while Napster's founder Sean Parker looks on.

3 of 6 Greg Sandoval/CBS Interactive

Metallica and Napster kiss and make up

Sean Parker, one of founders of Napster, now a shareholder of Spotify, is photographed with Metallica's Lars Ulrich. The two buried the hatchet over their infamous 2000 legal fight. Ulrich announced the band now owns its back catalog and is free to pursue deals with services such as Spotify.

4 of 6 Ty Pendlebury/CBS Interactive

Discover tab

Daniel Ek explains the Discover tab which "provides a feed that continually seeks out the most relevant content using technology and social tools, bringing recommendations right to the user".

5 of 6 Ty Pendlebury/CBS interactive

Ek said he was a music lover at heart and that Spotify should be a gateway to music ownership: "I do happen to be one of those guys who streams and buys vinyls", he said.

As far as the business was concerned Ek told the crowd that the number of US subscriptions had grown to 1 million and that the company has paid over $500 million to rights holders, or 70 per cent of the company's revenue.