Spotify shuts free user features in India: What's changing?

Streaming giant Spotify has implemented new restrictions for its free users in India, prompting them to consider the benefits of the premium service. Effective immediately, free users will no longer have the ability to play songs in a specific order, repeat tracks, or swiftly navigate to their previous songs.

These features will now be exclusive to Spotify Premium subscribers. However, free users can still access artists, albums, and playlists, and receive song recommendations.

Spotify initially offered these features to free users since its 2019 launch in India. The company, citing market maturity, has decided to limit these options, aligning the Indian service with its offering in Brazil.

A recent study by Redseer, published in April 2023, revealed that Spotify dominates the Indian music streaming landscape with a substantial 26% market share.

For those interested in an enhanced music experience, Spotify Premium subscriptions are available in India starting at ₹7/day. Subscribers enjoy ad-free music on mobile devices and can download up to 30 songs on a single device. Additionally, a ₹119/month subscription allows users to download up to 10,000 songs across five different devices.

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