Spotify Limits Some Key Features For Free Users In India (Image: Pixabay)

Audio streaming platform Spotify has introduced a layer of restrictions on some major features for free users in India. Spotify, which was launched in India in February 2019, made this move to attract more paid users to the platform.

Due to the new restrictions, free users will not be able to access key features including song order customization, and song repeat functionality. These features will instead only can be accessed by Spotify Premium subscribers. Free users also will not be able to select a specific part of a song to listen to. The company also removed the ability to disable the “smart shuffle” feature. However, Spotify clarified that free users in India will still be able to listen to their favorite albums, playlists and get song recommendations, and there will be no limit on the number of hours they can stream. It is to be noted that Spotify”s premium subscription for users in India starts at ₹7/day.

Since the launch in 2019, Spotify has provided all these features for free to all users in the country. Currently, Spotify is taking all available measures to push more people to pay for its premium service. As per a Redseer study released in April 2023, Spotify is the most streamed music platform in India with a market share of around 26%. Spotify mentioned in its recent earnings reports that India is among Spotify”s top five markets in terms of its user base and has been providing “better-than-expected” monthly active user growth in recent quarters.