Spotify plans to launch in over 80 extra international locations

Audio streaming service Spotify is planning to nearly double its geographic footprint and launch into 85 extra international locations, including 36 languages to its platform within the course of.

The Swedish agency introduced the worldwide enlargement on Tuesday at a livestreaming occasion that featured Justin Bieber, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

Spotify mentioned the enlargement, into what are largely seen as creating international locations throughout Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean, will allow an extra billion individuals to make use of its platform.

Within the subsequent few days, Spotify will launch in international locations like Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Samoa, Jamaica, Bahamas, and Belize.

“These strikes signify Spotify’s broadest market enlargement so far,” Spotify mentioned. Following the enlargement, Spotify will probably be out there in over 170 international locations.

Spotify launched in 2008 only a yr after the primary iPhone was launched and it has amassed 345 million month-to-month lively customers throughout 95 international locations. Of these, 155 million are premium paying subscribers.

Whereas Spotify began out as a music streaming platform, it now permits individuals to hearken to podcasts, audio books and meditations.

The Stockholm-headquartered agency has spent tons of of tens of millions of {dollars} to safe unique podcast sequence together with a brand new present from Barack and Michelle Obama that may characteristic Bruce Springsteen.

Spotify faces stiff competitors from Apple, Amazon and Google, which have launched their very own music streaming providers in recent times.

The corporate’s greatest competitor is arguably Apple Music, and Spotify is concerned in a bitter antitrust dispute with Apple. Spotify does not suppose it is truthful that it has to pay Apple a fee, or what it sees as a “tax,” when customers subscribe and pay for its service through Apple’s App Retailer. It filed a grievance to the European Fee in March 2019 and a probe is ongoing.

Spotify’s share value was down 4% to $350 on Monday and it fell one other 0.5% to $348 in after-hours buying and selling.