Dave Grohl doesn't care what you pay, just listen to his songs. Credit:Josh Robenstone/Fairfax Media Spotify might also go subscription-only, although that seems unlikely. Spotify, which launched in 2006, has more than 75 million users but between 20 and 30 million are believed to have paid subscriptions. The free users are supported by advertising revenue. Pandora internet radio has an estimated 80 million active users, but less than 5 million are understood to be on paid subscriptions. Apple has an estimated 12 million users, all on free trial, since it launched on June 30. It is believed Spotify's likely change of business model would be a response to pressure from the major labels - Universal Music Group, Warner Music and Sony Music Entertainment. The big three labels, who make no money from free streaming, have yet to renew licences to Spotify to host music by its artists.

YouTube is also understood to be under considerable pressure from labels to end free use of music. It has already unveiled plans for an ad-free, offline subscriber service to debut this year. The world's biggest popstar, Taylor Swift, has had a very public ongoing spat with Spotify since it refused to comply with the demands of her management: to only allow her much-loved album 1989 to be streamed for free outside of the United States. Spotify's new direction could also be interpreted as further proof of Swift's influence: in June she forced Apple Music to back down on a plan to not pay royalties to artists during the service's three month free trial period. Swift has argued music should not be free and she has a point: Spotify generates only a tiny amount of income for artists through royalties. But there was a risk that allow Swift to make her own rules could have made the system unfair to artists without her immense power. Major artists generally opposed Spotify's existing model, including Thom Yorke, the Black Keys, Amanda Palmer, Beck, Pink Floyd and Neil Young, while Dave Grohl has accepted it. He told Digital Spy: "I don't care if you pay $1 or fucking $20 for it; just listen to the f---ing song."