Spotify, one of the most used streaming services worldwide, is now available in the Caribbean along with Africa, Asia and Latin America. Since streaming has become one of the primary ways to listen to music, it is a significant move for the region’s music industry. In their announcement, the company claimed “The existing rich music cultures in each of these markets will now be able to reach Spotify’s global audience. All this untapped music energy and access to our innovative creator tools will help propel artists to new heights and empower them to turn their passion into a profession”. More listeners mean more opportunities for artists to earn money from the platform.
Spotify is now available in the following Caribbean countries:
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Belize
- Curaçao
- Dominica
- Grenada
- Guyana
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- St. Kitts and Nevis
- St. Lucia
- St. Vincent and the Grenadines
- Suriname
- Trinidad and Tobago
Spotify plans to work with local creators and partners to meet the needs of the Caribbean market. This is great news for the region’s creative industry. It also makes it easier for those wanting to get into the industry to release and earn money from their music.
Most of your favourite Caribbean artists are already on the platform. Now, you can stream their music for free. The site already has playlists for all your favourite genres – reggae, soca, dancehall etc – for you to start with. It may also be easier to discover other artists within the region and support their music as well.
Hopefully, this move pushes other streaming platforms not available in the region such as Pandora and Amazon Music to follow suit.
