Licensing dispute: Zee Music hits' exit no music to Spotify ears

Though Spotify had 500 million monthly active users globally (as of February 2023), there is no clarity on its India user base

In the past couple of days, users of the music streaming platform Spotify have found hours of their playlists shaved off. The music streaming giant has removed Zee Music tracks from its app, as well as browser sites, after negotiations for a renewal of their licensing agreement fell through. 

This has robbed its Indian users of several popular tracks, including the No. 1 track on Spotify India over the past two weeks -- Apna Bana Le from Bhediya (2022).

In fact, Spotify’s Daily Top 200 Songs chart for India included nearly 15 Zee Music tracks — Maiyya Mainu from Jersey