- By Vikas Yadav
- Tue, 10 Oct 2023 02:03 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
Music streaming application Spotify is enforcing fresh restrictions for free users in India with the aim of making them paying subscribers. According to TechCrunch, the podcast streaming giant will not allow free accounts to play tracks in a custom order and restrict rewind, scrub and repeat functions.
While the free plan offered liberal benefits in the beginning, the market is more mature now, according to the company. Citing Spotify, the news outlet added that the aim is to alter these benefits. The music app said that India is among the top five markets on the basis of monthly active users. However, the paid subscribers to free accounts ratio slip its position away from the hotspot markets.
Also Read: Spotify Likely To Introduce AI-Powered Playlists That Can Be Created With Prompts
Spotify stated the majority of users tune into the ad-supported tier of the service in the country. The app also launched a Smart Shuffle feature that offers automatic suggestions based on the preferences, songs and playlists on the app. It will improve suggestions to intermix playlists with custom recommendations from Spotify.
It is tipped that the company may launch a Supremium tier with more features compared to the seasoned premium plans. (Image:Unsplash)
Citing an industry source, TechCrunch added that the move will have positive outcomes as users will likely pivot towards the paid plans. But the question of substituting the app with an alternative remains. Similar steps to discourage users from a free plan were introduced by competitors in the past.
Gaana announced its paid-only model, and Resso discontinued its free plan in India and other countries. One of the reasons for the hesitation to pay is the unprecedented rise of digital piracy. According to an Indian Music Industry (a not-for-profit firm) survey, the piracy rate in India stands at 73 per cent, which is a steep difference compared to the 30 per cent global average.
Launched in 2019 in India, Spotify witnessed 220 million users in Q2 2023. On a related note, it is tipped that the company may launch a Supremium tier with more features compared to the seasoned premium plans. You can read more on this here.