Apple Music has quietly yet significantly grown its global footprint this week – and is now in 60 territories where Spotify is unavailable.
First came Apple Music’s expansion into Israel on Wednesday (August 3), which took its total market count to 114.
The streaming service is on offer for NIS19.90 ($5.20) a month in the country, while a family membership – for up to six people apiece – is priced at NIS29.90 ($7.80) a month.
Today (August 5) we learn that Apple Music has reached 115 countries by arriving in another significant territory: South Korea.
Very significant, in fact: according to IFPI, South Korea is not only the eighth biggest recorded music territory in the world, but one of its fastest-growing – and most digitally reliant.
South Koreans benefit from the same three-month Apple Music free trial as other territories, after which they will pay the equivalent of $7.99 a month for an individual plan or $11.99 a month for a family plan.
MBW discovered back in February that Spotify was available in 59 countries, which it added to in March by arriving in Indonesia.
Apple Music, meanwhile, was alive in 113 markets in Feb, and has this week added two more.
Apple is now operating in 60 countries where Spotify doesn’t have a base – but Spotify is up-and-running in five markets where Apple Music is not (Andorra, Iceland, Lichtenstein, Monaco, Uruguay).
In other words, Apple Music is in 55 more countries than Spotify as things stand today.
(You can see the full updated list and explanation for these numbers below.)
Spotify, meanwhile, has more than double Apple Music’s global subscribers. MBW sources suggest that Spotify had topped 35m subs, with Apple Music recently topping 16m.
Last year, South Korea generated $281.3m for labels and artists, according to IFPI – more than Italy, Brazil, The Netherlands, Sweden, Spain or China.
This figure was up 12.4% year-on-year, while 62% of it was made up by digital means (7% was performing rights, 31% phsyical).
Total streaming income in the territory hit $161.8m.
And in positive news for Apple, $152.7m of this figure was generated by paying subscribers – with just $9.1m from ad-funded platforms.
The Top 4 bestselling albums in South Korea last year came from EXO, signed to SM Entertainment.
APPLE MUSIC (115 countries – those where spotify unavailable have been bolded)
- Anguilla
- Antigua
- Argentina
- Armenia
- Australia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Belize
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Botswana
- Brazil
- British Virgin Islands
- Bulgaria
- Cambodia
- Canada
- Cape Verde
- Cayman Islands
- Chile
- China
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Dominica
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- Egypt
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Fiji
- Finland
- France
- Gambia
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Grenada
- Guatemala
- Guinea-Bissau
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Macau
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- Netherlands
- New Zealand
- Nicaragua
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Norway
- Oman
- Panama
- Papa New Guinea
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Romania
- Russia
- St Kitts & Nevis
- Saudi Arabia
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Spain
- Sri Lanka
- Swaziland
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turkey
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- UAE
- United Kingdom
- United States
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Zimbabwe
Spotify (60 countries – those where apple music unavailable have been bolded)
- Andorra
- Argentina
- Australia
- Norfolk Island
- Cocos (Keeling) Islands
- Christmas Island
- Austria
- Belgium
- Bermuda
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Bulgaria
- Canada
- Chile
- Colombia
- Costa Rica
- Cyprus
- Czech Republic
- Denmark
- Faroe Islands
- Greenland
- Dominican Republic
- Ecuador
- El Salvador
- Estonia
- Finland
- Åland Islands
- France
- Mayotte
- Réunion
- French Polynesia
- Saint Pierre and Miquelon
- Wallis and Futuna
- New Caledonia
- Germany
- Greece
- Guatemala
- Honduras
- Hong Kong
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Indonesia
- Ireland
- Italy
- Latvia
- Liechtenstein
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Malta
- Mexico
- Monaco
- Netherlands
- Netherlands Antilles:
- Sint Maarten
- New Zealand
- Cook Islands
- Niue
- Tokelau
- Nicaragua
- Norway
- Svalbard and Jan Mayen
- Panama
- Paraguay
- Peru
- Philippines
- Poland
- Portugal
- Singapore
- Slovakia
- Spain
- Balearic Islands
- Canary Islands
- Autonomous cities in North Africa:
- Ceuta
- Melilla
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Taiwan
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
- Pitcairn Islands
- Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha
- Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Cyprus)
- Crown Dependencies:
- Guernsey
- Isle of Man
- Jersey
- Uruguay
- US
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Islands
- Puerto Rico
- United States Minor Outlying Island
- United States Virgin Islands
Note: Bermuda counted as standalone territory to match Apple Music. US Virgin Islands counted within ‘US’. Apple Music counts neighbouring territory British Virgin Islands separately.
Here’s the list of the 60 countries in which Apple Music is currently available but Spotify is not:
- Anguilla
- Antigua
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Barbados
- Belarus
- Belize
- Botswana
- British Virgin Islands
- Cambodia
- Cape Verde
- Cayman Islands
- China
- Dominica
- Egypt
- Fiji
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guinea-Bissau
- India
- Israel
- Japan
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kenya
- Kyrgyzstan
- Laos
- Lebanon
- Macau
- Mauritius
- Micronesia
- Moldova
- Mongolia
- Nepal
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Oman
- Papa New Guinea
- Romania
- Russia
- St Kitts & Nevis
- Saudi Arabia
- Slovenia
- South Africa
- South Korea
- Sri Lanka
- Swaziland
- Tajikistan
- Thailand
- Trinidad & Tobago
- Turkmenistan
- Uganda
- Ukraine
- UAE
- Uzbekistan
- Venezuela
- Vietnam
- Zimbabwe
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