Spotify’s India challenge: Turning subscriptions into profits
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Bengaluru: Six years ago, when the Swedish music streaming company Spotify launched in India, the ecosystem here was very different. Global giants Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music were jostling for space, while local players such as JioSaavn and Gaana had already established themselves.
Spotify’s advent in the highly fragmented and legacy label-dominated music market saw questions raised about its premium priced subscriptions and artist-led approach. Paid music subscribers in India were few in number and film music dominated most existing streaming platforms. Six years on, the landscape looks a tad different.
Gaana, which was once the market leader, appears to be losing ground—the company’s revenue in FY23, the latest year available on Tofler, declined over 45% to ₹64.9 crore. Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music are around but within a bouquet of offerings of their parent brands. Currently, Spotify directly competes with YouTube Music, which has positioned itself as a leader in the visual music experience.
The Swedish company has solidified its hold as the go-to app for active audio streaming. According to audience measurement company Comscore, it currently has 88 million monthly active users in India (as of January 2025). According to another report, India Year in Review 2024: Setting Stage for 2025, released on 10 March by Comscore India, YouTube was still the country’s leader in digital streaming, with 411 million unique visitors across desktop and mobile platforms in December 2024.
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