Tag: spotify in india

Six Months of Data Shows India’s Increasing Appetite for Streaming

September 3, 2019

From a steady stream of Arijit Singh songs to a growing interest with podcasts, six months of Spotify streaming data shows India is a nation of audiophiles. In early March this year, we looked at what the first million users were streaming in the week after Spotify launched for India’s millions of music and podcast lovers. Right away we saw a surge in streams of pop hits from around the world. But after six months, Spotify’s listeners in India are showing plenty of love for music from home as well as abroad—plus a few other notable trends.

One thing that it isn’t in doubt: music plays a starring role in all aspects of Indian life. We saw this in June with a deep dive into the mood-based playlists users stream throughout the day. And today we can see the variation across regions and where tastes transcend India’s disparate cultures.

From Bollywood stars to pan-Asian breakouts to global sensations (yes, BTS is beloved everywhere), here are the artists, playlists, podcasts, and noteworthy trends from Spotify’s first half year in India.

Stream Top Hits Hindi, one of India’s most popular playlists.

Spotify Launches in India

February 26, 2019

Today, we’re excited to announce that Spotify is now available in India. Spotify comes to the world’s second-most-populous country with all-new features that are finely tuned to Indian music fans’ personal tastes. With this launch, we’re offering the best listening experience in local and international music—and the freedom to play it across a wide range of devices and app integrations.

“As Spotify grows, our goal is to bring millions of artists and billions of fans together from every country and background,” says Daniel Ek, Spotify founder and CEO. “India has an incredibly rich music culture and to best serve this market, we’re launching a custom-built experience. Not only will Spotify bring Indian artists to the world, we’ll also bring the world’s music to fans across India. Spotify’s music family just got a whole lot bigger.”

The exclusive features include:

  • Multi-language music recommendations: Many Indians speak several local languages, so Spotify’s music recommendation engine can now be tuned to Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil, and Telugu. Indian users can select their preferred language(s) to receive tailored Daily Mix, Home, Radio, and Search results and recommendations.
  • Spotify Free with full control: For the first time on Spotify Free, smartphone users can play every song on demand.
  • Playlists made for India: Our new playlists, expertly curated and regularly updated by our team of Indian music experts, include Indiestan, Rap 91, Namaste Love, Punjabi101, and Bollywood Butter, as well as Top Hits in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Punjabi. These sit alongside our celebrated international playlists, including mint, RapCaviar, ¡Viva Latino!, and the This is… artist compilations. Add billions of creator and fan-built playlists to the mix, and Spotify has a playlist for any mood or moment.
  • Spotify goes to the movies: Introducing Starring…, a series of playlists featuring the best music from the most popular Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood, and Punjabi actors. Spotify’s recommendations will also include songs from India’s favorite movies and actors.
  • City playlists: Find out what’s hot in each city, with new algorithmic playlists tracking what’s trending in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai.

“Spotify’s arrival in India is a big step forward in our overall global growth strategy,” says Cecilia Qvist, Spotify’s Global Head of Markets. “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 our India launch. We’ve worked closely with local teams of researchers, engineers, and cultural tastemakers to ensure this global product is going to be loved, used, and favored by people all over India, whether they’re listening to local Bollywood and Punjabi hits, or discovering curated global playlists of K-pop or Brazilian funk.”

Today’s launch comes on the heels of our recent expansion across MENA and Southeast Asia, bringing the total number of Spotify markets to seventy-nine. Spotify now has more than 200 million users, including more than 96 million subscribers.

For the sounds of India, take a listen to Rap 91.