Audio streaming service Spotify has removed certain features to behind a paywall, meaning free users will have to pay if they want to access certain features which were earlier free.
This is to encourage people to buy the premium subscription.
What is gone?
However, free users can still listen to their favorite artists, albums, playlists, and receive song recommendations.
Users who are on the free tier will now no longer be able to repeat songs, rewind to a specific portion of a song, or go to previous songs.
The Sweden-based music streaming service will also limit the ability to rearrange songs in a playlist.
“Matured market”
Spotfy said India is one of the top 5 countries when it comes to monthly active users, but the majority of users are still on the free ad-supported tier.
The country is yet to contribute to Spotify’s overall revenues in a meaningful manner.
The company said it is making these changes because the Indian market has matured now.
It said these restrictions were introduced to make the free experience more consistent across all markets.
‘Smart Shuffle’
Free users also won’t get to shuffle songs.
Instead, Spotify has introduced ‘Smart Shuffle’ in India which will be the default for free users
Launched earlier this year, Smart Shuffle automatically suggests music based on user preferences and the song or playlist they listen to.
It adds Spotify’s personalized song recommendations to playlists that ‘match the vibe or mood’ of the songs already in the playlist.
However, those on the free tier won’t be able to disable the feature.
Revenue troubles
The move is certainly a gamble for the company.
Backlash can be expected since the features it has removed for free users are relatively basic and can be found in other services.
It could prompt users to move over to other apps like YouTube Music.
As it turns out, Spotify depends heavily on subscriptions for revenue.
It currently generates the majority of its revenue from subscriptions which makes up nearly 87 percent of total revenue in Q2.
Premium plans
Premium is presently priced at Rs 119 a month of individual subscription and includes ad-free music, group sessions, and 10K song downloads per device and can be used on 5 different devices.
The duo plan costs Rs 149 a month and a Family plan for Rs 179 per month.
There is a Mini plan too, which is priced at Rs 7 a day.
This subscription allows one to enjoy ad-free music on mobile and download up to 30 songs on a single mobile device.
Spotify is also providing an individual Premium subscription for free for a month, so those considering buying it can opt for the free trial.
