Finally there’s good news for music enthusiasts in India. Spotify has confirmed it is going to launch its service in the country.
Speaking at the Spotify Investor Day in New York, Daniel Ek, co-founder, Spotify, highlighted the company’s plan to launch in countries like India, Russia and various parts of Africa.
We are working on launching in some of the biggest markets in the world, places like India, Russia, and Africa which have a very rich musical culture.Daniel Ek, CEO and Co-Founder, Spotify
The company has reportedly set up a physical office in India, looking out for music curators for the Indian market. It is also looking to hire people to manage the Indian division of Spotify. Having said that, there is still no clarity on a launch date for the streaming service just yet.
The popular music streaming platform has seen other biggies such as Apple Music and Amazon Prime Music enter the country, and has even gained paid users. However, Spotify has taken its own sweet time entering various markets in the Asian region.
The company is confident about its chances in a market where it is yet to debut, which includes India. Many people are already aware of the brand in the country, as informed by Seth Farman, CMO, Spotify.
In India, aided awareness of Spotify is 36 percent.Seth Farman, CMO, Spotify
Spotify is the leading music streaming player in the world, with a claimed user base of more than 71 million paid subscribers. The music service is renowned for its personalised music playlists, that get curated depending on the listening patterns of a user over time.
While Ek and Farman are confident about its chances in markets like India, unlike other countries, Indian music tastes are quite diverse. Bollywood, folk and tribal music, along with oldies form the core part of music listeners playlists in the country, and hence Spotify needs to ensure that its core elements don't get missed out in the process of localising its content.
Beyond content, Spotify will also have to find the right strategy for its pricing plans, to ensure it can add a large number number of users, yet retain quality listeners. Amazon Prime Music plays the pricing card very well with its combined Video + Shopping catalogue priced at Rs 999 for a one year membership.
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