Spotify now has a data saver mode.- And a revamped free tier.
- Today’s announcements are a solid indicator towards Spotify’s future.
Better free tier
Perhaps the biggest announcement Spotify made was about how its free tier will work. The service will now offer 15 free playlists to listeners, with about 750 songs constituting over 40 hours of playback. Users will be free to skip, shuffle or play single tracks. Earlier, Spotify offered an ad-driven free service where users couldn't skip or replay songs.
This is aimed at convincing more users to pay for the service, while retaining existing free subscribers. The freemium model is important to Spotify’s business and its fight against
This tier will make all the more sense when the company enters India. Consumers here have historically been reluctant to pay for services. In addition, the Indian market already has ad driven services like
Its new free tier could give enough exposure to the app for Indians to recognise Spotify’s superior technology.
Data saver
Unlike its current markets, India is a slow data market. Spotify announced a data saver mode, which allows users to stream on slower networks, while also saving data.
This is likely a move made in anticipation of markets like India. The data saver mode was introduced by
While Spotify hasn't yet confirmed when it plans to enter India. These two announcements could be considered a solid indication towards the company’s future plans.