Spotify Launches in Russia and 12 New European Markets

Todd Spangler
·2 min read

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Spotify has officially gone live in Russia, along with a dozen other markets across Europe.

The addition of Russia is a significant expansion for Spotify, given that the country represents the 17th biggest streaming market in the world, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. The music and audio-streaming company said it now reaches a total of 92 markets worldwide.

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Spotify’s 13 new markets are: Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine. All told, the new areas where Spotify has launched represent an addressable market of nearly 250 million people, the company said.

News of Spotify’s imminent launch in Russia emerged last week. Per IFPI, Russia is on pace to be the 10th-biggest streaming market by 2030 — and more than 87% of Russian consumers now access music through streaming, versus 61% globally (and 68% in the U.S.).

“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,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify’s VP of markets and subscriber growth.

With the market expansion, Spotify also introduced 200 new playlists featuring artists from across the region that are available worldwide.

For example, Spotify has added almost 100 playlists centered on Russian music, including curated playlists like Hip-Hop Cannon and New Music Friday Russia, and “This Is” playlists featuring popular Russian artists. Personalized Spotify playlists like Release Radar, Daily Mix, and Discover Weekly, which are informed by the listening habits of individual fans, are also now available in Russian.

As of the end of the first quarter of 2020, Spotify reported 286 million users including 130 million Spotify Premium subscribers. The service provides over 50 million tracks, including more than 1 million podcast titles.

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