Starting from October 9, Spotify’s free users in India will face restrictions on their service. They won’t be able to play songs in a specific order within a playlist, repeat songs, go back to previous songs, or select specific parts of a song to listen to. These changes are aimed at making the free experience more uniform across all markets. However, free users can still choose songs to play, and there will be no limits on streaming hours. To listen to a song again, users can return to the playlist and select their desired track.
This move by Spotify coincides with rivals like Gaana and ByteDance’s Resso transitioning to a subscription-only service in the past year. Unlike in other markets where Spotify has raised prices, it has refrained from doing so in India.
Smart Shuffle will now be the default listening mode for free users, and they won’t have the option to disable it. The traditional shuffle mode will become a premium feature. Smart Shuffle, introduced in March 2023, incorporates Spotify’s personalized song recommendations into playlists based on the songs’ mood or vibe. This feature aims to keep listening sessions fresh and enhance the overall experience. Users can also add or hide songs from their playlists. It will be available in India from October 9 and is expected to roll out to other markets.
Since entering the Indian market in 2019, Spotify has experienced significant user base growth. India is one of Spotify’s top five markets in terms of users and has shown better-than-expected monthly active user growth in recent quarters. However, it has yet to contribute significantly to Spotify’s overall revenue, a pattern observed with many global internet giants. Spotify’s primary revenue source remains subscriptions, accounting for nearly 87% of total revenue in Q2. In India, Spotify offers plans ranging from Rs 7 per day to Rs 119 per month for individual accounts and up to Rs 179 per month for family accounts.
