Simfy is a new free music streaming service for web users in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. When connected to the web, registered PC users can listen to music and create playlists without buying or downloading songs. The Simfy music streaming service offers a basic membership that is free of charge and a premium membership for € 9.99 per month. Premium members can use the music streaming service ad-free, can listen to the music when being on-line or off-line and download the desktop and the mobile applications for the Apple iPhone or Android smartphones. Premium members pay via direct debit (with German banking account) or via credit card. Social networking features like the integration of Facebook Connect have also been added: Signing up for this service allows registered Facebook users to use their profiles on Simfy.

Simfy Homepage, Screenshot: Simfy

Simfy has signed agreements with major labels such as Universal Music, Sony Music, EMI and Warner Music as well as important aggregators for independent labels to expand its music catalog from around three million to over 6.2 million titles. In addition, an agreement was reached with the German Society for Musical Performing and Mechanical Reproduction Rights (GEMA) to ensure that all songs are licensed and legally available to music fans online. The Cologne-based start-up enjoys the support of investors such as Dumont Venture, Earlybird, NRW.Bank and Klaus Wecken. With more than 1.5 million users, Simfy is adding an average of 3,000 new users per day and in the coming months it will begin to offer its music streaming services in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and other countries.

Simfy seems to be a music streaming service similar to Spotify in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, Norway and Spain, but which is not accessible for PC users in Germany. Spotify provides instant access to music through a simple to use platform whilst supporting the music industry via an ad-supported, free-to-the-user model and a premium paid subscription model. Spotify offers eight million tracks and counting.