Spotify app comes to iPad -- finally

The long-awaited Spotify app for iPad is here. And your first reaction is likely to be, “Hey, that’s a nice-looking app.”

The paid streaming music service’s 17 million tracks are now available to Apple’s tablet users. The iPad app, Version 0.5.0 of Spotify’s iOS app, is iPad-3-ready with Retina graphics and high-definition album art. Users can search for playlists, other subscribers and music from the same view.

The “What’s New” section features recommended albums, trending playlists among friends and nearby, as well as new releases. In the search window, the app offers predictive offerings even as you type the first letter.

Inbox is where you find music your friends have shared with you in Spotify. And the app works in both landscape and portrait modes, but really it’s more attractive in portrait.

The update also brings gapless playback and cross-fading, which is already on the desktop version as of February, and fixes some bugs related to playlists.

Most users are already familiar with Spotify. But in case you aren’t, if you’re looking for a free streaming option for your iPad, forget it. The app is fairly useless unless you’re a premium subscriber.

Users can sign up for a 30-day trial. After that, it’s $10 a month to keep the music streaming. You can, however, sync a track from your computer through Spotify.

In the YouTube video promoting the iPad app, Spotify has a bit of fun. We won’t spoil it for you. Check it out below.

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