Spotify launches in 13 European markets
17-07-2020 14:04:00 | Editor: Bob Koigi | hits: 9175 | Tags:

Digital music service Spotify has extended its services to 13 European markets as it seeks to bolster its clientele base that currently stands at 286 million and 136 million premium subscribers across 92 markets.

The latest expansion now means that the European listeners, who are increasingly turning to streaming, will have a chance to sample the 50 million tracks, four billion playlists and music personalization features that Spotify offers while growing the artists fan base.

The new markets include Russia, Croatia, Albania, North Macedonia, Ukraine, Serbia, Belarus, Moldova, Kosovo, Montenegro, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kazakhstan.

Russia is the 17th-biggest streaming market in the world and on pace to be the 10th-biggest streaming market by 2030 according to the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI). Spotify is therefore angling for this market to sell its offering.

Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP, Markets and Subscriber Growth, Spotify: “Russia has an incredibly rich music culture, and to best serve this market, we’re launching a custom-built experience. Spotify’s arrival in Russia, as well as the additional 12 European countries, is a big step forward in our overall global growth strategy. A fundamental piece of that strategy is staying connected to global culture while allowing room for local adaptation, and we’ve certainly achieved that with these launches. Our team on the ground is working closely with local musicians, labels and cultural tastemakers to offer a revolutionary and unrivaled fully Russian music experience to be sure that Spotify is going to be loved.”

Spotify has promised the new listeners an experience of a lifetime by introducing 200 new playlists featuring artists from across the region that are available to fans around the world.

By launching in these 13 markets, the company says it is adding room for billions of creator- and fan-built playlists to be added to the mix so listeners can find a playlist for any mood or moment.

The Spotify for Artists platform, which offers tools that help artists, managers, and labels track real-time statistics for new releases, understand their audience, connect more deeply with fans, and run their business, will also be available in these markets.

All 13 markets will be able to enjoy the ad-supported Spotify app for free.

Listeners have been given a chance to upgrade to Spotify Premium for the ultimate Spotify experience. On the other hand the Premium Family plan is available for up to six family members living under one roof with Spotify Premium DUO being available for couples and Spotify Premium for Students rounds out the mix for the more studious types in eight of the 13 markets.

In the Russian market Spotify has curated almost 100 playlists across some of the most popular genres with the playlists being regularly updated by the team of Russian-music experts. Russian listeners can will experience top playlists like Hot Hits Russia, New Music Friday Russia, This Is in Russian, and Fully Fresh.

Genre playlists like Hip-Hop Cannon, Pop Non-Stop, Rock Today, Solaris, Indie Squad will feature local and global artists across many styles.

There’s also relevant thematic playlists for every mood, including Light Breath, You Sing Magnificently, Russian Millennium, Disney Hits, This Is Definitely Love, Hygge, Swap Party, Life is Beautiful, Calm Night, It’s Complicated.

Spotify’s music recommendation engine can now be turned to local languages so that listeners can enjoy personalized discovery features such as Daily Mix, Release Radar, and Discover Weekly.

Listeners with Instagram will also be able to activate the long-awaited Instagram music stories feature, which allows listeners to share track artists, albums, and playlists in their stories.

www.spotify.com