• Spotify has launched a lightweight version app, Spotify Lite, for several emerging countries 
•  The company became the dominant paid streaming service in Latin America, as reported by Financial Times in January

When asked if the Japanese tech giant SoftBank Group took into account the economic status of a country when investing in a startup, Marcelo Claure, COO of Softbank replied: “The new economy, with businesses that use data to change the way people live and work, will happen in growth or recession. Having a positive scenario is a boost, but these huge trends shifts can’t be stopped“. 

Those words were said by the Bolivian-American executive chairman in an interview for the Brazilian newspaper Exame, in which he talked about why Softbank decided to create a major innovation fund especially for Latin America.

Compared with big developed markets, such as the USA, for instance, other emerging markets seem lacking in terms of technology, connectivity, data, logistics, and so on. But surprisingly for some – and pretty obvious for others – that’s exactly why it is that in those markets some major businesses of the new economy are thriving. Uber has established in the Brazilian megalopolis of São Paulo one of its main markets. A Datafolha survey showed that in 2018, São Paulo figured as the city that most used Uber among all cities worldwide.  

Surfing the same wave, Spotify became the main paid streaming service in Latin America with minimal effort; and as reported earlier this year by the Financial Times, they expect Mexico and Brazil to overtake the UK and Germany in subscriptions.

Also read: Spotify Has Now 100M Paid Subscribers and Latin America plays a big role on it

Now, the music streaming giant has decided to move forward. Spotify has just announced its lightweight version app for Android, Spotify Lite, aiming at 36 markets across Asia, Latin America, Middle East, and Africa. The main reason? The application requires less storage, data speed, and battery power – and it is tailored for users located in areas where network connectivity doesn’t work at high-speed, a well-known hurdle found in emerging countries.

“Spotify Lite was built from the ground up based on user feedback from around the world, allowing millions more to enjoy the world’s best music experience — especially in areas with limited bandwidth and phone storage“, said in a press release Kalle Persson, Senior Product Manager at Spotify. 

The app’s lighter version began testing in Brazil last year and is now officially available in several emerging countries such as Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam and India, according to CNET. 

Google Play Store data showed that Spotify Lite has already been downloaded more than 1 million times, as reported by TechCrunch. A smart move towards emerging markets, it’s not only Spotify that is aware of those countries’ potential. The streaming service is definitely making the most out of knowing how to target such markets, offering tailor-made solutions for these – millions of – users.