Last.fm is now independent, but the service, team and your scrobbles stay the same

Last.fm has begun operating as an independent company after a change of ownership, the music tracking service told its community. Accounts, listening history and the team behind the product are unchanged, and the company says the service continues as normal.

What stays the same

In its announcement, Last.fm listed what users can count on: their account and scrobbles, their data and privacy settings, Pro subscriptions with their billing and benefits, and the people who build the product. "Same service. Same team. New chapter," the team wrote, adding that more detail about what comes next will follow in the weeks ahead.

The questions users asked

An accompanying FAQ addresses the obvious concerns. The service is not shutting down. It has not been acquired by another company. The team building and operating Last.fm remains in place. The company says it is not selling user data and that nothing about how data is stored or protected changes as a result of the ownership change. Pricing is unchanged at this time, and Pro members keep the same subscription and benefits.

What independence means

According to Last.fm, operating independently means it can focus fully on building listening insights and community features for music fans, with "continued, steady improvements over time." The Last.fm API continues to work as before — the company says it values the developer community and will keep supporting the ecosystem built around the service. Users who want to support the work directly can do so through a Pro subscription.

Reaction on the forum thread was warm, with members congratulating the team and calling the news exciting.