Spotify has announced it is expanding its services to Russia and 12 more countries around Eastern Europe, covering now 92 countries globally.
As of Tuesday, the music streaming service is offering free and subscription services to Albania, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia and Ukraine.
The streaming giant said Russia is the 17th largest market for streaming, and is growing at a pace that would see it reach number 10 by 2030.
“Launching in these 13 markets is an important moment in Spotify’s journey, especially as we welcome fans and artists in growing music markets like Russia, where streaming is being widely adopted,” Gustav Gyllenhammar, Vice-President for Markets and Subscriber Growth, said in a statement.
Along with the expansion announcement, Spotify Technology SA also shared new user numbers, saying that it currently has 286 million users and 130 million Premium subscribers.
Strong growth during the global pandemic convinced Spotify to move ahead with the launch plans, executives said, according to Reuters.
