Spotify Launches In 14th and 15th Market

On Tuesday May 22^nd Spotify launched its service in New Zealand and Australia, its 14^th and 15^th market equaling over 40 million new potential members.

Spotify will be providing each country with 16 million tracks to choose from along with the option of a Spotify app for desktop users. In addition Spotify is in the midst of negotiating a deal with Virgin Mobile in order to provide a mobile app for those who join Spotify. Although each country’s population has approximately 20 million people, Spotify does not have the entire Australian market share to them self’s. Rdio, Deezer and Mog launched their services this past January, as well as Sony’s Music Unlimited service launching around the same time, so why move to Australia? Australia is the world’s sixth largest music market due to their high music consuming population. New Zealand on the other hand, is the world’s 30^th largest music market, but does not have as many music service options as Australia does. Therefore, it would only seem right to take advantage of places such as New Zealand. I feel that this is a great step towards fixing our problem of piracy and opening doors for accurately paying music and rights owners. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, the Internet wave for our generation is an unprecedented era that has cause much turmoil within the music industry. However, efforts seen by Spotify have begun to level out the misunderstandings us rights holders, music creators and music consumers have had for such a long time. As a proud Spotify user, I feel much more secure paying for my service and knowing the artists I listen to be paid then to steal music and end up in an infringement lawsuit. I truly hope to see Spotify and all other Internet radio hosts to expand their services globally in order to see the music industry leveled out once again.

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/digital-and-mobile/spotify-to-launch-in-australia-and-new-zealand-1007115552.story