Spotify may be grabbing headlines for its US launch, but missing is a key music discovery feature available in Europe - Pandora-like Artist Radio. As a Spotify user for the last two years, I've sometimes enjoyed the "lean-back and let the algorithm do the work" ease of Artist Radio. And Spotify allows more skipping and control than Pandora. But thanks to licensing issues, American users won't get to experience Artist Radio, at least for now.

“The lack of a radio feature for the time being is a factor of licensing agreements with the rights holders, but it will eventually be available,”  a member of the Spotify support team told Kurt Hanson's RAIN newsletter.

For now,  thanks to U.S. rightsholders who said no, artists and the recorded music industry are missing out on the potential for new music discovery and purchase that Artist Radio adds to Spotify in Europe.