Spotify India debut could happen in March, January 31 launch deferred because of lack of deals: Sources

Highlights:  Spotify could launch in India in March. The music streaming service had a launch party planned at Mumbai's Famous Studios for January 31. The service is awaiting deal completion with Sony and Universal. January 31 is almost over and there’s no sight of Spotify in India. The launch of the international music streaming service in India was expected today, but as per a source aware of the developments, Spotify deferred the January 31 launch because of lack of licensing deals with Sony and Universal. Our source tells us that a launch party for Spotify was scheduled to be held at Mumbai’s Famous Studios on January 31, but the same was cancelled because the service is yet to secure pending deals with Sony and Universal. The source further informed us that the launch of the music streaming service is now set for March, but “nothing is concrete” and it all depends on how soon the service manages to close its deals. Given this new information, it seems like Variety’s previous report on a possible January 31 India launch for Spotify was correct. Spotify has been on a hiring spree in India and we also hear that the platform has been roping in employees from competing streaming services like JioSaavn and Gaana. As of now, Spotify reportedly has 300 employees working for it at its Mumbai office. In terms of music licensing deals, Spotify has managed to secure a deal with T-Series, to bring the music label’s portfolio onto the streaming platform. T-Series has the biggest library of Bollywood songs and the deal spells a major acquisition of Hindi music for the platform, especially in the Indian context. However, Spotify has to ensure it also equally caters to vernacular listeners in India with a good mix of regional music. Pricing of the platform will also be key to its success in India, given that services like JioSaavn are highly competitive and heavily invested in the space. JioSaavn currently offers a library of 45 million songs in 15 languages, with expansion plans on the horizon. When it launches, Spotify India will reportedly offer a trial period longer than 30 days. The platform did the same when it launched in Vietnam and South Africa last year. Head here to know more about what’s happening with Spotify in India. http://bit.ly/2sYRl5U