Spotify Plans To Launch as Invite-Only in the U.S. [REPORT]

Word on the digital street is that much-lauded European music subscription service Spotify will land on U.S. shores this week.

Our sources in the music industry told us Spotify won't open the floodgates all at once: The service will execute a slow launch, giving pre-existing members invites to distribute.

Last week, our collective American heart skipped a beat when the company posted a landing page declaring that “the award-winning music service that’s taken Europe by storm will soon be landing on US shores.”

Others have speculated that Spotify will land in the U.S. this week.

The U.S. launch of Spotify has appeared imminent for months, with the company closing a $100 million round of funding and reportedly securing licensing deals with UMG, EMI and Sony.

Our sources say Spotify has not yet confirmed a deal with Warner Music Group, but they say that the service is meeting with the label staff to talk about marketing, so the deal seems nearly sealed. Last week, documents detailing Spotify's launch plans leaked, revealing that the service plans to rely on Facebook to garner buzz for the brand.