Spotify hits 83 million subscribers

 Spotify hit 83 million subscribers at the end of June, the music streaming service said Thursday. 

The company continues to outshine its closest competitor, Apple Music , which had 40 million subscribers as of April. Spotify's growth matched the high end of the range that it predicted in May.

Amid a cultural shift to streaming as the most common way people listen to tunes, Spotify and Apple Music have emerged as the leaders in a race to dominate subscription music. Though Spotify remains the biggest streaming service by both subscribers and those who listen for free, Apple Music reportedly has been outstripping Spotify's growth in the US, the world's biggest market for recorded music. 

Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Spotify said 180 million people now use its service at least once a month, up 30 percent from a year earlier. That also matched the upper limit of its guidance from May. Unlike Apple, Spotify has a free tier that lets anyone listen to music with advertising. Apple has never disclosed a monthly-active-user stat. Almost all people who use Apple Music are paid subscribers. 

Looking ahead, Spotify predicted that it will have 85 million to 88 million paid subscribers by the end of September and that its monthly active users will increase to between 188 million and 193 million.

In the second quarter, Sweden-based Spotify reported a loss of 394 million euros ($458.72 million), or 2.20 euros a share, widening from a loss of 188 million euros, or 1.24 euros a share, a year earlier. Revenue climbed 26 percent to 1.273 billion euros in the quarter.

Spotify shares were up 4.9 percent at $197.25 in recent trading. 

The Smartest Stuff: Innovators are thinking up new ways to make you, and the things around you, smarter.

Tech Culture: From film and television to social media and games, here's your place for the lighter side of tech. guidance