Spotify Restricts Features For Free Users In India To Entice Paid Subscribers

Spotify users in India are losing access to certain basic features in the company's hope to convert free subscribers into paid users. Now, users of the free Spotify plan in India can no longer rewind, scrub, or repeat songs.

Yikes! Besides losing the ability to rewind, scrub and repeating songs, Spotify India is also locking the ability to rearrange songs in a playlist, Tech Crunch reported.

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Spotify wants to convert free subscribers

Spotify told the publication that India is among the top 5 countries in terms of monthly active users, but most users still use the free ad-supported plan. The Sweden-based company said that it's making this move because the Indian market has evolved and now the company wants to move to a subscription-based model.

Spotify is also bringing the 'Smart Shuffle' feature to Indian users. The feature was launched earlier this year and automatically suggests music based on the song or playlist a user might be listening to. Users of free Spotify will not be able to disable the feature.

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Also read: Spotify Working On AI Feature That Lets Users Create Prompt-Based Playlists

The music streaming service crossed 50 million active users earlier this year. Recently, the company increased its subscription prices for many countries including the United States, Germany, Australia, and Canada.

Currently, there are no plans to increase the cost of Spotify Premium subscription in India. The subscription costs ?119 for a monthly individual plans. There are also single-day plans and family subscriptions available on Spotify.

Also read: Spotify's 'Community' Feature Will Show Users What Music Their Friends Are Enjoying

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Globally, Spotify's biggest competitors are Apple Music, Amazon Prime Music, and YouTube Music. In India, local players like Gaana and Saavn also directly compete with Spotify.

Would you switch to a premium Spotify plan owing to these tactics? Let us know in the comments below. For more in the world of technology and science, keep reading Indiatimes.com.