Virgin Media offers free Spotify Premium to fibre broadband customers

Virgin Media fibre optic broadband subscribers can take advantage of free access to Spotify Premium under a new deal from the cable company.

New subscribers and those who agree to extend their contracts can use the Premium version of the digital music service, which does not feature advertisements, without paying any more for six months.

Once the promotional period has elapsed, customers will have the option to continue to subscribe to Spotify premium or opt out, in which case their accounts will revert to the ad-funded Spotify Free package.

Andreas Liffgarden, global head of telecom business development for Spotify, said: "Telecoms companies moving into the music space increases revenue streams to the music industry and provides benefits for fans and artists alike."

Virgin Media first unveiled plans for an unlimited music subscription service in June 2009 in partnership with Universal Music, but failed to gain support from any of the other major record labels.