Spotify launches in Japan, its mobile lyrics feature makes global debut

By Kris Wouk September 29, 2016

Spotify — Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s a big week for Spotify: On Monday the company announced a new Daily Mix playlist to complement its Discover Weekly and Release Radar playlists, and now it’s finally available in one of the biggest music markets in the world. The company announced at a press conference on Thursday that it is now finally available in Japan.

“We’re incredibly excited to launch Spotify with a uniquely Japanese music experience,” Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek said in a statement. “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.”

Recommended Videos

Both the free ad-supported version of the music streaming service and the monthly subscription plan are available, with the latter costing 980 yen, roughly equivalent to the $10 per month it costs in the United States. Following the launch, the service will be available in a total of 60 markets worldwide.

Alongside the international playlists available in other countries, a range of Japan-exclusive playlists curated by a group of Tokyo-based music experts are also present, including Tokyo Super Hits and Best of J-Rock. That’s not the only special feature coming to Japan, either.

Making its global debut in Japan, a new mobile lyrics feature is also available, possibly due to the popularity of karaoke in the country. Lyrics aren’t limited to mobile devices either, as they’re also available in the desktop app, a feature that isn’t available in the U.S. anymore: The Musixmatch-powered feature disappeared from the desktop app in May.

While Spotify is now available in Japan, it isn’t open to everyone just yet. The streaming service is currently in invite-only beta in Japan, and no specific launch date has been announced at the time of this writing. For now, Japanese music fans looking to try the service will have to head to the service’s website to request an invite.

Topics

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…

Mobile

The Spotify app is a mess, and audiobooks will only make it worse

The Spotify app on an iPhone, showing the Home page.

There’s been a lot of chatter about Spotify turning into a platform that will support audiobooks. Last year, the streaming company announced an acquisition of Findaway, an audiobook platform similar to Anchor. And according to a recent report from The Verge, Spotify executives have begun pitching investors the idea of hosting audiobooks on the platform.

It would seem like it’s only a matter of time until subscribers are given access to an endless supply of audiobooks on the Spotify app, just like podcasts before it. While the idea of being able to listen to audiobooks in the same app that I listen to music is good on paper, I can’t help but feel a certain sense of dread as I wait for the impending announcement.
An app full of clutter
The Spotify mobile app has seen several significant redesigns over the last few years, but the current way it’s organized leaves much to be desired. Searching for new music and podcasts has never been easier thanks to the many improvements to the app’s search engine, but much of the UI has been made drastically worse as the app has grown older.

Audio / Video

Spotify’s HiFi tier was MIA in 2021. Will 2022 be any different?

Spotify app icon on iPhone.

Spotify announced almost a year ago that it would launch a new subscription tier for its Premium members called Spotify HiFi before the end of 2021. As the name suggests, Spotify said the new, more expensive tier would distinguish itself by offering "lossless CD-quality" audio -- a significant step up in quality over the company's current maximum streaming quality, which is still based on a lossy compression system. But 2021 is now in our collective rearview mirror and, so far, there's still no sign of Spotify HiFi.

And concerns are growing that even Spotify can't say for sure when or if it will actually launch the new tier. Now, 9to5Mac has spotted a message from the company on its community support site that doesn't exactly fill us with confidence:
Hey folks,

Audio / Video

Chill with Spotify for free on Delta Airlines this holiday season

Spotify app icon on iPhone.

There's some good news for Spotify listeners who are planning to take a trip this holiday season on Delta Airlines -- you'll be able to stream as much music as you like without paying the airline's customary fees for Wi-Fi data. Delta won't be playing Santa for long, as the free data period only lasts from December 8, 2021, to January 19, 2022.

To take advantage of the free data, all you need to do is connect your phone or tablet to the in-flight Wi-Fi system and then fire up your Spotify app. There's only one caveat: Your aircraft needs to be equipped with Viasat for its data connectivity, and not every Delta flight has this gear.