Spotify’s expansion into Russia and twelve other countries brings the streaming platform to 92 markets worldwide.
Spotify is now available in Russia and twelve other new countries, including Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Ukraine. The expansion comes after Spotify broke into India in February last year, where the number of active internet users is estimated to be over 400 million.
The thirteen countries amass a population of nearly a quarter of a billion people, of which around 144 million are in Russia. According to the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Russia was the world’s fastest growing recorded music market on a percentage basis in 2019 and is estimated to be the 10th-biggest streaming market by 2030.
“Today’s launch opens the door for nearly 250 million fans to start discovering new music from around the world on Spotify, and for artists in the region to reach the increasingly connected global audience of fans,” says Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify VP, Markets and Subscriber Growth.
“Launching in these 13 markets is an important moment in Spotify’s journey, especially as we welcome fans and artists in growing music markets like Russia, where streaming is being widely adopted and where we see a significant opportunity for Spotify.”
As part of their expansion, Spotify are introducing 200 new playlists available to fans around the world. They have also created nearly 100 Russia-specific playlists, curated by a team of Russian-music experts. This includes playlists like Hot Hits Russia and New Music Friday Russia, as well as genre playlists like Hip-Hop Cannon, Pop Non-Stop, Rock Today, Solaris and Indie Squad. Personalised Spotify playlists like Release Radar, Daily Mix, and Discover Weekly, are also now available in Russian.
For more information, visit the Spotify newsroom.