Spotify is now finally available in India. The music streaming application is set to take on the likes of Apple Music, Google Play Music and local Saavn platforms.
After a long wait and reports of delay in launch, Spotify is finally available in India. The app silently made its way to Google Play Store and Apple App Store for Indian users on Tuesday evening. Spotify on Wednesday officially announced the availability of the platform in India.
- Most recently, homegrown music apps Ganna and JioSaavn took the price plunge and now Apple Music is also following suit. Spotify’s India debut was a widely-watched one.
- The music gaint app launch comes after months of awaiting about a possible India entry. Earlier Spotify music app is only available for UK and US users, now it is available to download in Google Play Store and Apple App Store for android and ios devices. For old users of Spotify in India, no more 14 days abroad use warning will display for users.
Indian Music & Hindi Music By Derek Fiechter. Beautiful Indian music & Hindi music featuring the sitar, tanpura, santoor, sarod, bansuri, tabla, and other Indian instruments. Most of these are instrumental. Play on Spotify. Spotify is a digital music service that gives you access to millions of songs. Spotify is all the music you’ll ever need. Listening is everything - Spotify. By the end of 2019, Spotify intensified its focus in India with various offerings, including a ‘Lite’ app, playlists catering to regional language music and listeners, and launching original.
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Despite official unavailability in India, Spotify is quite popular in the country with users resorting to VPNs to access the platform. It is also one of the top music streaming apps in the world with 207 million active users. Spotify's presence is however limited with its availability in 79 countries including India. In comparison, its rival Apple Music is present in 113 countries.
Spotify Music App Indian
If you are planning to join the platform, here are five interesting things you need to know about Spotify's India launch.
Paytm and UPI payment modes
Spotify is free to use with unlimited song skips and 3 minutes of ads per hour. It also has a subscription service called 'Spotify Premium' comes with one month free trial and features like offline downloads and no ads. Spotify gives users payment options like credit and debit cards for monthly subscription. In India, monthly subscription for Spotify Premium is priced at ₹119.
Spotify is also offering top-ups for its paid service which can be paid via Paytm and UPI. Spotify top-up plans include ₹13 for 1 day, ₹39 for seven days, ₹389 for three months and ₹719 for six months. Paytm and UPI are one of the most popular payment methods in India and the localization could reap benefits for the Swedish player.
Competition from local and global players
Spotify's entry in India comes at a time when users are spoilt with choices for streaming apps. There are many local players like Hungama, Gaana, Airtel's Wynk Music and Jio Saavn. Apps like Wynk Music and Jio come with telco partnership which gives their users free access to the subscription. In addition to this, smartphone brands have tie-ups with apps like Gaana and Hungama for free subscription to their services.
Spotify also competes with Apple Music which has been around in India since 2015. Apple Music comes with family plan of ₹190 month and for up to six members. Spotify hasn't launched its family plan in India as yet. Another global player is Amazon Prime Music which comes bundled through Prime membership.
Student discount
Similar to Apple Music, Spotify also offers discounts on its subscription for college students. Spotify is offering 50% discount on its monthly subscription for students which comes to ₹59 per month. Apple Music also has a similar student plan priced at ₹60 per month.
Spotify-Warner dispute
Spotify Online Music
Ahead of its launch in India, Spotify was reportedly facing legal issues with Warner Music. Warner/Chappel Music moved the Bombay High Court to prevent Spotify from offering its songs in India. The high court however allowed Spotify to launch its services in India, and make a deposit of ₹6.5 crore, Times of India reported.
Cheaper than US
Spotify Premium plans come cheap in India. Compared to the US, Spotify Premium is available at $10 (₹700 approximately), while family plan can be availed at $15 (₹1,000 approximately). Spotify also doesn't offer top-up plans in the US.
Listen To Spotify
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