According to reports, Spotify and Vodacom are in discussions over a partnership that could see the digital music service launch on the continent.
Insiders privy to the pending deal say Vodacom will offer customers subscriptions which include a limited amount of free data to access Spotify. The streaming service is currently available in over 50 countries worldwide, but no version of the music streaming service has ever been launched in South Africa.
Vodacom has over 30 million customers in South Africa. Spotify is the world’s largest music subscription service with 10 million paying users and a further 30 million users listening for free. The biggest mobile network in the country being in discussions with this service can only mean good things for the country and tip the scales on music streaming adoption in SA.
If an agreement is reached, Spotify will join legions of other streaming services available on the continent, but it would remain a big content coup for Vodacom, especially if they are to be the first to offer the service with free data access.
In 2012, it was reported that South Africans spent R90 million on digital music; making up approximately 7.3% of the country’s recorded music market. Numbers are expected to rise, but music streaming still relatively new in the country, compared to our counterparts in Europe and America.
No comment was forthcoming from Vodacom or Spotify.