In 2016, we finally got Netflix in India, and if all goes well, we could get Spotify by the end of this year. Netflix is a popular video-streaming service that offers its own serials like Narcos, House of Cards and Marvel’s Daredevil, to name a few.
Services like Netflix and Spotify have made a big impact with respect to piracy in most parts of the world. In a market like India, where people find downloading a better option than buying, Spotify could end up changing the way India gets her music in the foreseeable future.
Asian Music Journey
Spotify is a music streaming service, that is currently only accessible to users in India via backdoor channels such as switching VPN IDs or changing one’s location. But there is a big possibility that Spotify could officially become available in the country.
Going by the trend in the industry, music streaming in India is finally catching up to the world, which strengthens Spotify’s case. We all know that the internet speeds in India are among the slowest in the world, but when a country has over 100 million mobile users, you get businesses’ attention for sure.
As you can see, Spotify is set to enthrall users in Indonesia by the end of this month. The service will be available to consumers across multiple platforms such as Android, iOS and Windows. Indonesia is said to have the fourth largest population in the world, giving Spotify the impetus to take control of the country’s music-listening crowd with its services.
Now that Spotify has dived into the Asian market yet again (after a long hiatus), it’s time they looked closely at entering India sometime soon as well.
Spotify in India > Apple Music in India
The reason why we feel that Spotify could outperform Apple Music in the country is related to the company’s respective product models. Apple Music is more concentrated on iOS users, providing an app that works in sync with their iPhones. Apple Music is also available for users on Android, but the service is severely lacking in quality right now.
Spotify, on the other hand, runs on a model which is more suited to a price-sensitive market like India. The company has a free subscription model that comes bundled with ads. You can also opt for premium plans that let you download music, play them offline and listen to music ad-free. On top of that, the Spotify app on Android is a complete package, providing you a seamless music streaming service.
If Spotify can match Apple Music’s Rs 120-per month plan in India, the company will quickly find takers for its product and add to its 30 million global premium user base.
Spotify’s Rivals are Gaana and Saavn
The Sweden-based music streaming company entering the Indian market is a no-brainer for us. However, one needs to understand that every business model has local competition to fight off and in Spotify’s case, there’s Gaana and Saavn. These services rank as some of the top products used for music streaming in the country.
How much do I Pay?
- Gaana: Starting from Rs 99 per month for Pro version; Available across platforms
- Saavn: Starting from Rs 120 per month for Pro; Available across platforms
The catalogue on offer from Gaana is disparate, with equal focus on local as well as global music content. With Saavn, the company is yet to fulfill 360-music requirements of users, plus you pay a higher price to get the Pro version when compared with Gaana.
For Spotify to flourish in India, they’ll have to find the right balance between offering expansive music content, without putting a heavy price on the music. And with India predominantly being an Android user base, the company needs to ensure that its app quality remains of the highest standard.
It is too early to say when Spotify thinks is the right time to enter India. The company has to make sure that the content is in tune with what the users like, and keep them happy with plans that are pocket-friendly, as well as free.
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