It was in March last year when Spotify officially confirmed its intentions to launch in India, though without a timeline. In November, it was reported that it was aiming to launch its music streaming service in India during the early months of 2019.
Spotify today launched its services in India. Spotify Premium is offered in two subscription options: ₹119 ($1.68) per month or ₹1189 ($16.74) per year. Students may also avail a 50% discount on the subscription, for which they will have to upload “school-issued documents.”
There is more to the pricing, however; due to the comparatively scarce availability of credit cards in India, the auto-charging nature of subscription payments remain a challenge. Spotify, therefore, is also offering top-up plans in the country.
A day of Spotify Premium costs ₹13 ($0.18), seven days cost ₹39 ($0.55), a month costs ₹129 ($1.82), three months cost ₹389 ($5.47), and six months cost ₹719 ($10.12). It is possible to pay for these top-up plans via UPI or Paytm. It’s clear that the company wants more of those users who subscribe than those who use top-ups, given the price difference between the subscription and top-up plans.
India’s music streaming market is stiff with competition. At ₹119/mo ($1.68), Spotify is the second most expensive music streaming service in the country, with Apple Music being the most expensive at ₹120/mo ($1.69) – only a difference of ₹1. Google Play Music, JioSaavn, and Gaana, each cost ₹99/mo ($1.39). Amazon offers its Prime membership – which includes both Prime Music and Prime Video, as well as other benefits – for ₹129 ($1.82) per month or ₹999 ($14.06) per year.
A free tier is also available – supported by advertisements. It will be interesting to see how Spotify fairs against its competitors in the Indian market. It has been signing and negotiating licensing deals with a few big names in the country, so the content library should certainly not be a problem.
6 Comments - Add comment