Spotify is out today talking subscriber and user numbers. Analysts love dealing in these details, trying to predict if a company will survive, etc., but the average consumer doesn't quite care so much. The media, well, we love to blow things out of proportion so that we get more hits.

Spotify has come out and said that they have 5 million subscribers around the world, with 1 million of those subscribers coming from the United States. They also claim to have 20 million worldwide users. Now the part that consumers will be interested in: Metallica joined Spotify at the event to announce that their music is now available on the music streaming service.

"We were ready to jump in as soon as they were ready," Metallica's Lars Ulrich said.

The CEO of Spotify has said that they have paid $500 million to artists, with $250 million of that coming within the last nine months.