There's no shortage of streaming services in India right now: there are the local players like Saavn and Gaana that offer a myriad selection of regional and international music, and the likes of Google, Apple, and Amazon have also made their foray into the market. Spotify is all set to join that list, as CEO Daniel Ek confirmed during a recent investor day presentation that the streaming service will be making its debut in India shortly:
We are working on launching in some of the biggest markets in the world, including India, Russia, and Africa which has a very rich musical culture.
Spotify made its debut in four new markets earlier this week — Israel, Romania, South Africa and Vietnam — and it looks like that was just the first salvo in a broader expansion into global markets.
Late last year, Spotify hired former Google Business Manager Akshat Harbola to head its India operations, and while the streaming service stated that it had 308 employees scattered over 20 markets, it didn't divulge a headcount for India. What we do know is that Spotify leased office space in Mumbai last month, so a launch does seem imminent.
Spotify will have its work cut out in India, as the music streaming segment already fields intense competition. Google Play Music is available for just ₹99 ($1.50) a month (opens in new tab), and Apple Music isn't far behind at ₹120 ($1.85) a month (opens in new tab) — for students, it's just ₹60 (93 cents) a month.
Amazon Music also made its debut in India earlier this year, with the streaming service bundled into the Prime subscription, which is just ₹999 ($15) a year and includes access to Prime Video as well.
Having used Spotify for over two years, the one thing that it does better than anyone else is curated playlists. But the Indian market is all about value, and it'll be interesting to see the price point that Spotify will launch at in the country, as that'll make or break the service.
Harish Jonnalagadda is a Senior Editor overseeing Asia at Android Central. He leads the site's coverage of Chinese phone brands, contributing to reviews, features, and buying guides. He also writes about storage servers, audio products, and the semiconductor industry. Contact him on Twitter at @chunkynerd.
