LAST.FM REGAINS INDEPENDENCE

Last.fm announced its return to independent status through an official support post. The platform, which has tracked billions of music listening events since its 2002 launch, allows users to log and discover music based on their listening habits. The service operates through a freemium model, offering basic music tracking and recommendations to free users while premium subscribers gain additional features. Last.fm's database remains one of the web's largest music information repositories. The move comes after years of ownership changes. Last.fm was previously acquired by CBS Interactive in 2007, then sold to Absolute Ventures in 2014, before changing hands again to Pandora parent company Sirius XM. The independence announcement generated discussion in tech communities, with users expressing interest in the platform's future direction. Last.fm maintains integrations with major music streaming services including Spotify and Apple Music, enabling automatic scrobbling of user listening activity.