Spotify is now available in Korea!
On February 1, the app was launched on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, successfully opening the database of 60,000 songs and 4 billion playlists for users in Korea. Some of its services include a personalized curation service and the option to enjoy music while active on other platforms such as Instagram and Facebook, as well as on devices such as LG TV, Microsoft Xbox and more.
Spotify’s music editing team also revealed exclusive playlists for Korea. The team continually updates its playlists based on a study of all playlists created by its 320 million users. As mentioned, Spotify is a pioneer in recommending music to users in a personalized way. Some of these playlists include “Daily Mix”, a daily mix of someone’s usual favorites and new songs, “New Weekly Recommendations”, a playlist that reflects the usual musical taste updated every Monday, and “Release Radar “, a playlist that recommends new music that might fit someone’s preference and is updated every Friday
One thing to note is that the music distributed by KakaoM will not be available on Spotify. As the distributor has four labels and artists like IU, this is a major disadvantage for Spotify. KakaoM’s share in music distribution reached 37.5% last year.
How well Spotify protects music content is a key factor for its competitiveness in the domestic market. Therefore, it is expected that much attention will be paid to the way Spotify guarantees music contracts. Especially with the relationships already established between KakaoM and Melon, as well as CJ and Genie Music, it is not clear whether Spotify will be able to acquire music without any problems. In the case of Apple Music, it entered the Korean market in 2016, but failed to make an initial success due to difficulties in securing national music and has shown a low market share since then.
Park Sang Wook, the managing director of the Korean branch, stated, “We have been working closely with artists, record labels and distribution companies to provide a quality service that will satisfy both home users and artists.” He also emphasized that efforts will be made to promote Korea’s music industry.
Alex Norstrom, Chief Premium Business Officer at Spotify, said: “We are very happy to announce the official launch that has been long awaited by Korean music fans and artists. We will help more Korean artists to connect with fans not only in Korea, but also around the world. We will work with other industry players to provide an excellent music experience for users in Korea. “
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