Spoitfy has been promising to launch in Russia for years, but the streamer finally signaled a summer 2019 debut by sharing what it will charge.
At RUB 150 / USD $2.30, Spotify will be priced lower than Apple Music in Russia, which costs RUB 169 / USD $2.65 per month. There will also be a free ad-supported tier.
Music piracy has been a major issue in Russia, and it is hoped that, like elsewhere, the availability of streaming will help curb it. But with music streamers pushing monthly prices ever lower as they launch in more developing countries, the net financial benefit to artists could be diminished.