Spotify just launched in 13 new markets across Europe, bringing the total number of markets to 92. Now, users in Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, and Ukraine can enjoy a listening experience that includes 50 million tracks, 4 billion playlists, and localized music personalization features.
Their expansion in Europe comes as consumers in the region embrace streaming. Russia in particular is one of the world’s top 20 largest streaming markets—and this launch opens the door for nearly 250 million fans to start discovering new music from their countries and around the world. Users in these 13 markets will join Spotify’s existing 286 million listeners and 130 million Premium subscribers, so it’s also a huge moment for artists who will be able to engage with more fans than ever in an increasingly connected world.
“Russia has an incredibly rich music culture, and to best serve this market, we’re launching a custom-built experience,” says Gustav Gyllenhammar, Spotify VP, Markets and Subscriber Growth. “Spotify’s arrival in Russia, as well as the additional 12 European countries, is a big step forward in our overall global growth strategy. A fundamental piece of that strategy is staying connected to global culture while allowing room for local adaptation, and we’ve certainly achieved that with these launches. Our team on the ground is working closely with local musicians, labels and cultural tastemakers to offer a revolutionary and unrivaled fully Russian music experience to be sure that Spotify is going to be loved.”
In honor of these 13 new markets, here are 13 fun facts and features users in Russia and beyond can look forward to.
Across all 13 markets:
- We are introducing 200 new playlists featuring artists from across the region that are available to fans around the world.
- By launching in these 13 markets, we’re adding room for billions of creator- and fan-built playlists to be added to the mix so users can find a playlist for any mood or moment.
- The Spotify for Artists platform, which offers tools that help artists, managers, and labels track real-time statistics for new releases, understand their audience, connect more deeply with fans, and run their business, will also be available in these markets.
- All 13 markets will be able to enjoy the ad-supported Spotify app for free.
- That being said, users can upgrade to Spotify Premium for the ultimate Spotify experience. Plus, the Premium Family plan is available for up to six family members living under one roof, Spotify Premium DUO is available for couples, and Spotify Premium for Students rounds out the mix for the more studious types in eight of the 13 markets.
Russia-specific:
- According to the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI), Russia is the 17th-biggest streaming market in the world and on pace to be the 10th-biggest streaming market by 2030.
- Almost 100 playlists across some of the most popular genres have been curated and will be regularly updated by our team of Russian-music experts. Russian users can get excited for top playlists like Hot Hits Russia, New Music Friday Russia, This Is in Russian, and Fully Fresh.
- Additionally, genre playlists like Hip-Hop Cannon, Pop Non-Stop, Rock Today, Solaris, Indie Squad will feature local and global artists across many styles.
- Fan of a specific artist? Look out for “starring” playlists like This Is Face, This Is GONE.Fludd, This Is Little Big, This Is Nina Kraviz, This Is Rauf & Faik, This Is Noize MC, This Is Макс Барских, This Is Клава Кока, This Is Тима Белорусских, This Is Шарлот, This Is СБПЧ, and many more.
- There’s also relevant thematic playlists for every mood, including Light Breath, You Sing Magnificently, Russian Millennium, Disney Hits, This Is Definitely Love, Hygge, Swap Party, Life is Beautiful, Calm Night, It’s Complicated.
- Spotify’s music recommendation engine can now be turned to local languages so that users can enjoy personalized discovery features such as Daily Mix, Release Radar, and Discover Weekly.
- Instagram users will finally be able to activate the long-awaited Instagram music stories feature, which allows listeners to share track artists, albums, and playlists in their Stories.
Listeners from around the world can now tune in to playlists like Hot Hits Russia