Spotify have launched in Russia at last and bring their music streaming service to a total of 13 new markets.

It appears that last week’s rumours were right as Spotify have now launched in Russia, after over half a decade of deliberation and attempts. The popular streaming service has launched in 13 new markets across Europe this week, making Spotify available in 92 markets around the world and counting.

Russia are one of the 20 largest markets for music streaming in the world with their own popular services like Yandex as well as Spotify competitors like Apple Music available there. Music streaming is quickly growing in the country and Spotify are hoping to appeal to new audiences with 250 million potential new listeners across all the new territories.

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Spotify’s huge music streaming catalogue of over 50 million tracks, 4 billion playlists and thousands of podcasts are now available in:

  • Russia (RU)
  • Ukraine (UA)
  • Belarus (BY)
  • Kazakhstan (KZ)
  • Albania (AL)
  • Bosnia & Herzegovina (BA)
  • Croatia (HR)
  • Kosovo (XK)
  • Moldova (MD)
  • Montenegro (ME)
  • Serbia (RS)
  • Slovenia (SI)
  • TFYR Macedonia (MK)

Spotify’s Vice President of Markets and Subscriber growth, Gustav Gyllenhammar said: “Russia has an incredibly rich music culture, and to best serve this market, we’re launching a custom-built experience. 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.”

Spotify’s big plans for music in their new territories

Across all 13 markets:

  1. We are introducing 200 new playlists featuring artists from across the region that are available to fans around the world.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. All 13 markets will be able to enjoy the ad-supported Spotify app for free.
  5. 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: 

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Additionally, genre playlists like Hip-Hop Cannon, Pop Non-Stop, Rock Today, Solaris, Indie Squad will feature local and global artists across many styles.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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. Check out the top sounds from one of Spotify’s newest markets below.