With An Ear For Bharat, Spotify Launches A Lighter Version Of Its App In India

Swedish music streaming giant Spotify has introduced a lighter version of its app to further solidify its presence in the competitive Indian music streaming market. The company has launched 10 MB-sized app, a beta version of which is currently available for Android users.

The company claims that the Spotify Lite Beta app uses less storage, making it an ideal option for older phones with limited capacity. Amarjit Batra, managing director India, Spotify said that they had committed to localising the app so that more and more people can listen to music.

The Spotify Lite Beta app can be downloaded separately and can be used either alongside or independently from the main Spotify app. “Our ambition is to be available on all platforms that make sense to our users, and make the music streaming experience as seamless as possible,” Batra said.

The Spotify Lite app was launched last year and has been used across Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Mexico, and Brazil among other countries. According to the Google Play Store stats, Spotify Lite app has been downloaded more than 1 Mn users.

Spotify Gains 2 Mn Users In 2 Months

Spotify launched in India on February 28 and is charging INR 119 per month for its ad-free premium version, while the existing leaders of the music streaming market in India— Gaana, JioSaavn and Hungama— charge INR 99 per month

The company came with more than 40 Mn songs and 3 Bn playlists across Indian and international music, across moods and moments. The company had signed multiple partnerships with Indian music labels such as T-Series while it prepared for the launch in the country.

The company claimed to have reached 1 Mn users within a week of the launch. Further, in its quarterly filings in April, Spotify said that it has reached 2 Mn users in India. However, how many of these users are subscribing for a premium membership is still uncertain.

On a global level, Spotify reached 100 Mn subscribers with 217 Mn Monthly Active Users (MAUs). However, the paid users share continues to be on a growth trajectory despite being a slow one.

Lite Apps: A New Way To Reach Bharat

In the global context India is still a promising market for app makers as new internet users from Tier 2 and 3 markets grow rapidly. Internet users in the country has reached 566 Mn in 2018, driven by rural internet adoption.

It is now estimated that there are 251 Mn internet users in rural India, and this is expected to reach 290 Mn by the end of 2019. However the quality of internet and smartphones continues to be an obstacle to a smooth experience for these rural users.

Hence in response many big tech companies are building lite versions of their applications primarily for India and its slow Internet services. Here’s a rundown of some of the popular apps with lite versions:

With the music streaming industry expected to reach $227 Mn by 2023, Spotify’s lite version may drive its ambition of extending its ambition to reach beyond India’s urban populace.

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