Online music service Spotify is turning up the heat on Apple as it aims to create an alternative to iTunes.The company is extending many of its premium services, including an iPhone and iPod app, to non–paying members.It is also encouraging customers to import their music collection into Spotify, rather than Apple's system.

At the heart of the update, which will be rolled out automatically from 4 May, is an attempt to make Spotify the sole music management platform used by its 10m members.Currently, only those who pay a monthly fee of between £5 and £9.99 are allowed to import tracks bought through iTunes into their Spotify library.

Gustav Soderstrom, chief product officer at Spotify, confirmed that the company was aiming to make iTunes redundant.

“We think it is a better experience. If it is not, people will go back to iTunes,” he added.

He explained that customers had requested a greater tie–up between the music they owned and the service they used to create playlists.

“Users are juggling two products at the same time and they said they really wanted to synch their playlists with their iPods and iPhones,” he said.

As well as allowing users to synch music with Apple products, Spotify is making its iPhone and Android apps available to non–subscribers.