Spotify is ready to launch in Belgium, Austria and Switzerland, possibly as early as this week, paidContent understands.
The multi-territory ramp-up will add to the music service’s current eight operational territories and is its most significant since launching in the U.S. this summer.
Having secured funding to go global, Spotify is now in a rapid acceleration phase. Launches are also planned in Germany, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong. It is seeking an international growth director to spearhead new countries by spending two to three weeks per month in virgin territories.
But rival services, too, are planning to internationalise…
- Rdio has launched in Brazil and is planning Germany and Australia.
- We7 is expanding from the UK to other parts of Europe.
- Deezer plans to launch in a whopping 130 more countries.
- Rhapsody is considering its globalisation through partnerships.
- Pandora (NYSE: P), too, is mulling internationalising but sees risk.
- Mog’s UK launch is running almost two years late.
There is a growth trend in take-up of legal online music services. The services are playing a game of Risk for country-by-country domination.
Spotify tells paidContent: “We are working hard to launch the service in Austria, Switzerland and Belgium as soon as possible.”
Belgian royalty collector Sabam has proposed ISPs pay it three to four percent of their customer fees to compensate for copyright abuse on their networks, Out-Law reports.
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