Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria are the biggest new markets for Spotify.
The wait is finally over, Spotify is all set to launch in Pakistan in 2021 along with Bangladesh, Nigeria and 86 other countries.
STOCKHOLM — Spotify is growing to 85 new markets in the “next few days” across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America, co-founder and CEO Daniel Ek stated at its online-only stream event on Monday. This involves large new markets such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria. Collectively, the 85 brand-new Spotify markets serve more than a billion people — a large new market space for Spotify that has increased to more than 345 million monthly live users and over 155 million paid subscribers globally. This can be seen as Spotify’s largest expansion to date — it’s currently used in 93 countries, which took 12 years — and essentially makes it a global service.
We launch in 80+ new markets over the next few days. See you soon Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria 👀 #SpotifyStreamOn pic.twitter.com/Wqv3IFdicz
— Spotify (@Spotify) February 22, 2021
In all 85 new markets, Spotify is offering both Spotify Free and Spotify Premium solutions. Individual, Family, Duo, and Student Spotify plans will be ready in select markets, Spotify said. Listeners in new markets will get to reach Spotify on mobile apps and in the browser. Apps for TV, consoles, speakers, wearables, and cars will be launched in the “coming months”. Spotify’s global music catalogue will be available in all-new 85 markets, and it will work with the local rights holder to add more local offerings.
“Together these markets represent more than a billion people, with nearly half of them already using the internet, some of the places we’re going like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria, have the fastest growing internet populations in the world,” said Chief Premium Business Officer Alex Norstrom. – Reuters source
Spotify, which has been able to overcome competition from large record labels and some major music artists to reshape how people listen to music, now faces growing competition from rivals Apple Music and Amazon Music.
It has however seen a sharp rise in paid subscribers during the coronavirus pandemic as people have been locked down at home and hit 155 million paid subscribers for its premium service.
Why Spotify isn’t in Pakistan?
Last year the music company created a verified Instagram account for Pakistan which lead to constant speculation and enthusiasm. However, the company had not released an official statement. The only response they had given was on their community page: “Spotify is unavailable in Pakistan at the moment due to licensing restrictions. However, we’re launching regularly in countries around the world. Please keep an eye on the Spotify blog or signup here to be first to hear.”
Spotify Alternative in Pakistan?
Patari, Pakistani music and audio streaming service, founded in February 2015, when it almost instantly soared to success, gaining thousands of users. The music portal’s journey, however, rambled over the years as fundamental conflicts began disturbing it. Currently, it still stands as Pakistan’s predominant music application but that could very well be because the country has no other alternatives. With Spotify’s arrival, however, this dynamic could radically change.
As of now, Patari has more than 100,000 installs on the Google Play Store and receives a wide variety of Pakistani music from pop artists, classics, love ballads, drama OSTs, and podcasts among many more.
Its recent reputation spike may be credited to the fact that the streaming website was the official audio partner of Coke Fest 2020 along with Tapmad which was held from 21st November to 23rd November 2020. The program is actively working to add more and more music from local artists as well as classics from the likes of Atif Aslam, EP, Strings, Rahat Fateh Ali and more.
