When Ek came to SXSW in March 2010, Spotify was only available in Europe, but it had already proven that instead of using free, but illegal, streaming or download sites, customers preferred to legally stream and pay for music if they were offered a service with security, convenience, audio files of reliable quality, and access to a comprehensive catalog. Although he was expected to announce Spotify’s American launch at SXSW, Ek gave a vague timeline, although the service did go live in the U.S. in July 2011 and quickly gained widespread popularity.