The long wait is over for Japanese music lovers as Spotify announces its arrival thereon. However, it may not be available for all, as it is on an invite-only basis for now.
"We're incredibly excited to launch Spotify with a uniquely Japanese music experience. With Spotify's revolutionary discovery and personalization features that fit your every mood, we aim to help people enjoy more music and connect more artists with fans than ever before," Spotify's CEO and Founder Daniel Ek said on a press release.
According to Japan Times, Ek said that it was a dream come true for him to be able to bring to Japan about 2 million artists around the world and also, to bring Japanese artist to the rest of the users of the app.
Japan's version of Spotify features a comprehensive catalog of Japanese and international artists, unique discovery and personalization features, and music specifically curated by Tokyo-based team of music experts.
In addition, Spotify in Japan has song lyrics support on mobile alongside desktop lyric support. It also comes with gaming and running modes.
Spotify in Japan, which is on beta testing phase, is now available on mobile, laptop, tablet or PlayStationTMMusic for PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3. However, Spotify is still proud to announce that they are the very first "freemium" music service provider to offer Japanese music lovers their favorite domestic and international artists.
Since it is on a trial basis, its full implementation and service can be expected come November, according to Spotify Director of Product Dave Price.
Spotify Japan version has 40 million songs which is available in two plans, namely: Spotify Free which comes without a cost and plays advertisements in between songs and Spotify Premium for only 980 yen a month which removes ads.
Spotify Japan will be spearheaded by Ichiro Tamaki, formerly Vice President of Amazon Devices and Kindle Content, will serve as General Manager, Spotify Japan.
After its Japan launch, Spotify will be opening in more than 60 markets worldwide.
