Premier League, StarHub unite to combat piracy in Singapore

Source: Premier League. Premier League stars are helping to raise awareness of the dangers of illegal streams in the Boot Out Piracy campaign. Becker of Liverpool.

With the Premier League 2024/25 season under way, the Premier League, in collaboration with its local broadcast partner StarHub, is continuing its action to educate consumers about the dangers of accessing pirated content and to combat illegal streaming in Singapore. 

The League’s Boot Out Piracy campaign for this season brings together some of the biggest names in football — Alisson Becker (Liverpool FC), Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Hwang Hee-chan (Wolves), and Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) — to address the dangers of illegal streaming. 

Through a series of videos distributed across digital platforms, these players speak directly to Singaporean fans, warning them of the significant risks associated with accessing Premier League content through unauthorised channels. This campaign follows a recent study by cybersecurity expert Professor Paul -Watters, which highlights the serious risks associated with illegal sports streaming - cybercriminals are exploiting illicit sports streaming sites, putting Singaporean consumers at risk of identity theft and fraud through browser hijacking, malware and misleading ads. 

The August 2024 research examined 25 popular illicit sports streaming sites in Singapore, and found that almost two thirds (65.6%) of advertisements on these platforms are classified as “high-risk”, which significantly increases the likelihood of exposure to malware or fraudulent scams. The risk of encountering malicious activity on these platforms is 44%. 

Premier League General Counsel Kevin Plumb said: “We know how passionate our fans are in Singapore and across Asia, staying up late to follow the latest Premier League action. We also know the risks and dangers of watching matches through illegal streams and want supporters to enjoy Premier League content in the best quality and safest way through authorised sources. 

“As well as promoting important messaging, we are working harder than ever with Singapore’s law enforcement authorities and our partners at StarHub to enforce legal measures and take action against piracy. This includes collaborating with StarHub to identify and shut down piracy syndicates and working together with local authorities to address the distribution of illegal streaming devices. 

“We encourage fans to protect their online safety and to enjoy Premier League matches via authorised platforms, which will provide the best viewing experience.” 

Professor Watters remarked: “The research findings underscore the urgent need for online users to stay vigilant and avoid platforms that stream pirated content. Users may be under the impression that these sites are harmless, but cybercriminals are always planning to launch cyberattacks such as data breaches, ransomware and malware, putting users at significant risks. The Premier League’s Boot Out Piracy campaign helps make these risks clear to fans in Singapore.” 

As the exclusive broadcaster of the Premier League in Singapore, StarHub has a pivotal role in the Boot Out Piracy campaign. “As the Home of Sports, StarHub is dedicated to providing fans with the best possible viewing experience. We firmly believe in the importance of protecting our content from piracy,” said Johan Buse, Chief of Consumer Business Group, StarHub. 

“Piracy undermines our industry and threatens the future of sports content. By prioritising content protection, we ensure that fans can enjoy their favourite sport in a safe, secure environment. StarHub is proud to support Premier League's Boot Out Piracy campaign, and we are committed to fostering a vibrant sports community where every moment is valued and celebrated. Together, we urge fans to enjoy the game through legitimate channels, safeguarding the future of football for everyone." 

The Premier League has been working closely with local law enforcement to crack down on illegal streaming services in Singapore. Most recently a man who sold illegal streaming devices at Sim Lim Square in Singapore was sentenced to 10 months’ jail, following investigation carried out in collaboration between the Premier League, the Singapore Attorney-General Chambers, and the Intellectual Property Rights Branch of the Singapore Police Force. 

As part of its broader strategy to protect its content and safeguard the intellectual property rights of local broadcasters, the Premier League has been conducting site-blocking efforts aimed at identifying and blocking access to websites that stream football matches illegally. A total of over 560 domains in Singapore have been blocked by the Premier League. The Boot Out Piracy campaign will be showcased across broadcast channels and social media platforms in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam in the upcoming months.

TV boxes popular in Thailand, still available in Singapore

Fifteen percent of Singaporean consumers use a TV box which can be used to stream pirated television and video content. These TV boxes, also known as illicit streaming devices (ISDs), allow users to access hundreds of pirated television channels and video-on-demand content, usually with a low annual fee. TV boxes often come preloaded with pirated applications allowing 'plug-and-play' access to pirated content.

The survey found that MyIPTV, UBTV, WorldTV, MoonHD, and Infinity TV were some of the most popular illegal applications amongst Singapore consumers.

The survey, commissioned by the Asia Video Industry Association’s (AVIA) Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) and conducted by YouGov, also highlights the detrimental effects of streaming piracy on legitimate subscription video services. Of the 15% of consumers who purchased a TV box for free streaming, more than one-quarter (28%) asserted that they had cancelled their subscriptions to a Singaporean-based online video service as a direct consequence of owning an ISD. Nearly one in five (18%) Singaporean users in the same segment have abandoned international subscription services in favour of ISD purchases.

Of those Singapore consumers who own an ISD, more than half of respondents (62%) claim to have purchased their illicit streaming device from two of the largest Southeast Asia-based e-commerce stores*. More than one-fifth of ISD owners (21%) say they acquired their devices via one of the world’s most popular social media platforms**. Over one-third (38%) of ISD owners said they purchased their pirate TV box from IT exhibitions or physical retail stores in Singapore.

Neil Gane, GM, CAP said, “The overt availability of ISDs in Singaporean malls and IT exhibitions is a major concern for the content industry. Unfortunately, there is no one silver bullet to deterring piracy due to the fragmented nature of the ecosystem. What is required is an holistic solution to include enforcement, cooperation with technology platforms and intermediaries, disabling access to pirated content through effective site blocking and consumer outreach”.

In late November AVIA announced the landmark November 2 High Court injunction ordering Singapore’s Internet service providers to block access to popular illegal applications that are frequently preloaded on ISDs sold in Singapore.

As a consequence of these High Court orders, Gane added, “Consumers are wasting their money when purchasing new subscriptions to illegal applications when they find their ISD can no longer access live sports matches or their favourite TV shows. CAP will continue to prevent and disrupt illegal feeds of live sports, TV channels, and VOD content through judicial blocking orders against piracy applications. ISDs can never provide quality programming and a service guarantee.”

Singapore currently has over a dozen online legal services providing an array of live sports, TV channels and video-on-demand content at varying pricepoints.

In mid-November, AVIA released similar results for Thai consumers that revealed 45% of consumers use a TV box which can be used to stream pirated television and video content.

The survey found that Mango TV, HD Playbox and U Play are among the most popular pirate applications amongst Thai consumers.

Of the 45% of consumers who purchased a TV box or dongle for free streaming, more than two in three (69%) stated that they cancelled all or some of their subscription to legal pay TV services. Nearly a quarter (24%) said that they cancelled their subscriptions to a Thai-based online video service as a direct consequence of owning an ISD. International subscription services, which include pan-Asia online offerings, were impacted the most - nearly one in three (30%) Thai users have abandoned subscriptions in favour of ISD purchases.

Cancelling legitimate subscription services and replacing them with pirated content is risky, said Gane at the time of the announcement. 

"The damage that piracy does to the creative industries is without dispute. However, the damage done to consumers themselves, because of the nexus between content piracy and malware, is only beginning to be recognised. Piracy websites and applications typically have a 'click happy' user base, and, as such, are being used more and more as clickbait to distribute malware. Unfortunately the appetite for 'free' or cheap subscription pirated content blinkers users from the very real risks of malware infection".

Of consumers who own an ISD, about half of respondents (47%) claim to have purchased their ISD from two of the largest Southeast Asia-based e-commerce stores*. Close to one-third (31%) of ISD owners say they acquired their devices via one of the world's most popular social media platforms**.

In addition to the short-term problem of cancelled subscriptions is a longer-term problem. The survey found that ISDs are particularly favoured among 18- to 24-year-olds, with more than three in four (77%) cancelling legitimate subscription services as a result of owning ISDs. Forty percent of the cancellations were of international online subscriptions.

The Thai Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), Ministry of Commerce, who oversees the Copyright Act, commented that "to enhance the efficiency of enforcement action, the DIP has proposed the amendment of the Copyright Act by adding provisions on the manufacture, sale, import, or traffic into the country of devices or any parts or components of a device, for the purpose of circumventing a technological measure.

"These amendments were approved by the Cabinet on 16 October 2018 and will shortly be presented to the State Council. The amendments are explicitly targeted at the manufacture and distribution of pirated TV boxes. This is a crucial step to address the current piracy problem".

Sompan Charumilinda, Executive Vice Chairman at cable and satellite operator True Visions, listed a number of concerns. "First is the danger to consumers through the use of malware and spyware embedded in these illicit sites and applications. Second is that supporting these criminal enterprises does real damage to legitimate businesses that are struggling to survive. Third, it also undermines the Thailand 4.0 initiative and the country's aspiration to become counted among the world leaders in the new digital economy by showing Thailand to have made little progress in terms of its acceptance and tacit approval of these criminal networks.

"Consumers should care about piracy personally because of the harmful effects of malware and spyware, and also because of the damage that it does to our country. As a leading media company in Thailand we are happy to work with the Department of Intellectual Property, CAP and all relevant stakeholders to help continue to educate the public about these dangers," he said.

A growing concern from the anti-cybercrime community remains the nexus between online piracy and pernicious malware such as spyware, malware mining and ransomware. In September 2018, the European Union Intellectual Property Office released a report entitled Identification and Analysis of malware on selected suspected copyright infringing websites which found that most of the documented malware on piracy sites were Trojans or other malware which, when installed on an end-user’s, computer would cause “not only financial losses, but also theft of personal data and other risks of unwanted access and control”.

AVIA's Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) includes major video content creators and distributors in Asia. Members include: beIN Sports, Discovery, The Walt Disney Company, FOX Networks Group, HBO Asia, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Premier League, Turner Asia-Pacific, A&E Networks, Astro, BBC Worldwide, CANAL+, Cignal, La Liga, Media Partners Asia, National Basketball Association, PCCW Media, Singtel, Sony Pictures Television Networks Asia, TVB, True Visions, TV5MONDE, and Viacom International Media Networks.

Explore:

Piracy also affects software preloaded onto new PCs. Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post about the Microsoft PC sweep in Asia.

*According to ecommerce^iq, the most popular e-commerce sites in Singapore are Qoo10, Lazada and Zalora, in that order. Zalora focuses on fashion items. Ecommerceiq said the most popular e-commerce sites in Thailand are Lazada, Shopee and JD, in that order.

**SimilarWeb has the most popular social networks in Singapore down as Facebook, Instagram and then Twitter. SimilarWeb lists the most popular social networks in Thailand as Facebook, Twitter and then Instagram, in that order.

Singtel to offer Apple Music - data-free

Singtel will offer data-free streaming with Apple Music, the world’s fastest-growing music streaming service.

The first data-free tieup with Apple Music in Singapore, the service is available to Singtel postpaid mobile customers* from today for S$9.98 per month. New and re-contracting customers who sign up for the service will enjoy a six-month subscription absolutely free, with no minimum contract.

Said Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO of Consumer Singapore at Singtel: “Our customers will have the freedom to stream or download music entertainment on our superior network, without taking a byte off their monthly mobile data allowance. We will continue to forge partnerships to bring our customers the very best from around the world, be it content, services or the latest devices.”

Apple Music offers subscribers more than 45 million songs, combined with their entire iTunes library, which consumers can stream or download for offline listening - all ad-free. Subscribers can also:

- Create their own playlists

- Discover new ones curated by Apple Music,

- Share music with their friends.

- Get a daily mix of recommended music based on their preferences,

- Listen to radio stations from every genre

- Watch exclusive music videos, documentaries and concerts

- Apple Music also includes Beats 1, a global live stream of radio shows.

Source: Singtel website. Subscribers get Apple Music free for the first six months.

Details:

Singtel’s data-free Apple Music is available on iOS and Android devices, including Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS + Cellular). Customers can sign up at Singtel Shops islandwide or at singtel.com/datafreeapplemusic.

*Applicable to Combo plans, SIM Only, Easy Mobile, MobileShare and Mobile Broadband customers.

Singtel CAST's Aneka Plus pack now includes Tribe from Astro

Source: Singtel website. Qadr from Trib is enow available through CAST.

Singtel’s CAST is now home to Tribe, Astro’s regional video service. Featuring content from Astro’s lineup of Malay channels, which include Astro Ria and Astro Prima, Tribe will be offered on CAST’s Aneka Plus pack.

For the first time in Singapore, viewers will be able to watch Astro’s premium on-demand Malay programmes on the go. Tribe includes complete seasons of drama series, variety shows, movies and award shows.

Customers can look forward to popular programmes such as Suri Hati Mr Pilot (starring Neelofa and Fattah Amin), Bukan Kerana Aku Tak Cinta (starring Sharnaaz Ahmad and Nelydia Senrose), Imam Mudaku Romantik (starring Hisyam Hamid and Syatilla Melvin) and the awards show Anugerah Era MeleTOP 2017. From 10 July onwards, viewers can also enjoy the entire series of Hero Seorang Cinderella (starring Fattah Amin and Fazura).

Interested?

Aneka Plus customers will enjoy a special introductory offer of S$7.90/month with the first three months free for a 12-month contract signed. To subscribe, customers can head to Singtel shops and Singtel Exclusive Retailers, or sign up online.

In addition to Aneka Plus, CAST offers Partner Apps, Viu Premium, FOX+ and Tonton, as well as Variety Plus, Asian Plus and Sports Plus packs. Together, CAST streams premium over-the-top (OTT) Korean, Asian, English and Malay-language, and sports content. For a limited time only, customers who purchase any CAST pack on a 12-month subscription will enjoy the first three months free.

In conjunction with Ramadhan and Hari Raya, Singtel is also offering an exclusive Singtel TV, Aneka Plus and fibre broadband bundle at a special price.

Singtel brings Malaysia's tonton to its CAST app

Singtel has launched one of Malaysia’s top streaming services, Media Prima’s tonton, on Singtel’s video streaming app CAST. Together with its current offering of Astro Ria and Astro Prima Malay
channels on Singtel TV’s Inspirasi packs, Singtel now offers the most extensive array of Malay entertainment content to viewers in Singapore.

Exclusively available outside Malaysia for the first time, tonton on CAST will offer over 23,000 hours of curated Malay entertainment, including programmes from TV3, TV9 and tonton originals. Singtel customers can expect to enjoy top-notch Malaysian dramas up to six months ahead of the television broadcast schedule in Malaysia, and also catch live events such as Anugerah Bintang Popular Berita Harian and top-rated dramas such as Ku Kirim Cinta. The over-the-top (OTT) video service is available on CAST’s Aneka Plus pack.

Source: Singtel website. Banner for Ku Kirim Cinta.

Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO, Consumer Singapore, Singtel, said, “We aim to bring our Malay viewers the content that they love on the devices they prefer. With Aneka Plus, our customers can enjoy exclusive first look at top-notch Malay-language content from tonton on their mobile devices. We look forward to adding more compelling OTT content for our customers’ on-the-go viewing pleasure.

“OTT content is an important part of our strategy to connect with our customers. We started strong with companion app Singtel TV GO in 2013 and to further meet our customers’ OTT entertainment demands, we offered Netflix and Viu. We launched CAST as a one-stop solution to their varied viewing needs and quickly expanded our offerings to include exciting OTT options such as FOX+ and tonton.”

CAST streams premium OTT Korean, Asian, English and Malay-language, and sports content. In addition to Aneka Plus, CAST offers Partner Apps, Viu Premium and FOX+, as well as Variety Plus,
Asian Plus and Sports Plus packs.

Interested?

For a limited time, customers who purchase any CAST pack on a 12-month subscription will enjoy the first three months free.

Aneka Plus is available on CAST at a special introductory offer of S$7.90/month with the first three months free (applicable with the 12-month contract). To subscribe to Aneka Plus on CAST, customers can go to any Singtel shop, Singtel Exclusive Retailers, or sign up online at cast.sg/anekaplus.

In conjunction with the launch of Aneka Plus and Hari Raya celebrations, Singtel will be hosting faces of tonton, Ayda Jebat and Redza Rosli who are the main cast for the drama series,Ku Kirim Cinta, and Queen of tonton Dato Seri Vida at a meet-and-greet session for customers during CelebFest at Suntec City Convention Centre on 16 and 17 June. Customers can visit singteltv.com.sg/fuyohhraya
for more details.

posted from Bloggeroid

Singtel Music welcomes TIDAL to portfolio

Singtel Music has added global music and entertainment platform TIDAL to its repertoire.

TIDAL is the only music app in the world that offers high fidelity, lossless audio quality and exclusive content from the world’s top artistes. Customers can enjoy TIDAL Premium and TIDAL HIFI on Singtel Music without affecting their data allowance.

“With the addition of Saavn in October and TIDAL now, Singtel Music customers have even more
choices for their listening pleasure. We’re not stopping here and will continue adding quality music
content to offer the best music streaming experience at great prices, without the data charges,” said Diana Chen, VP of Mobile Marketing, Consumer Singapore, Singtel.

With a Singtel Music subscription to TIDAL Premium or TIDAL HIFI, customers will be able to access a catalogue of more than 42 million songs, including exclusive albums such as Beyoncé’s LEMONADE and Rihanna’s ANTI, as well as live streams from Bon Jovi, Keith Urban and Alicia Keys.

This means they can stream or download hours of music entertainment, anytime and anywhere, with zero local data charges. TIDAL Premium customers will have access to speeds of 320kbps while listening and TIDAL HIFI customers will enjoy lossless audio with a bit rate of 1,411kbps.

TIDAL also offers nearly 140,000 music videos and a wide variety of entertainment content, such as Nick Jonas’ Last Year Was Complicated documentary series, Rick Ross’ album annotations and more.

Launched earlier this year, Singtel Music is the first service in Singapore to offer data-free music streaming. Tidal joins Spotify, KKBOX, AMPed and recently added Saavn, India’s audio entertainment streaming platform, on Singtel Music’s lineup.

Interested?

Tidal Premium is available on Singtel Music for S$7.90/month (12-month contract) or S$9.90/month and Tidal HIFI will cost S$15.90/month (12-month contract) or S$19.90/month, respectively. Subscribe to Singtel Music
 

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Celcom subscribers can join the Hear Forever promotion on Yonder Music to win cash

Source: Yonder Music. Graphic for the Hear Forever campaign.

Yonder Music Malaysia will be giving away RM500 cash daily to the most active Yonder Music app user who is also a Celcom subscriber from now till 18 August 2016. The most active user of the app per day wins RM500 cash.

“At Yonder Music, we are always looking for ways to engage with our users and give them access to all their favourite music – anywhere, anytime. This time around, we are giving away cash rewards totalling over RM30,000 across two months through our Hear Forever campaign. We want to reward music lovers in Malaysia simply by enjoying their favourite songs. It’s super simple, all they have to do is just keep enjoying the music they love and become the most active Yonder Music app user of the day – to be rewarded with the RM500 daily cash reward,” said Daphne Lourdes, Yonder Music’s Country Manager for Malaysia. 

Interested?
 
Yonder Music is a free and unlimited music app currently available on Android and iOS devices. It is exclusively available to Celcom subscribers in Malaysia.

Spotify Singapore users have spent 11.4 billion minutes on Spotify

· Two in five people with Internet access are streaming on Spotify

· Users in Singapore spend on average of 108 minutes per day on the app

· Since launch, Singaporean users have spent 11.4 billion minutes streaming on Spotify

Spotify, the music streaming service, is celebrating another successful year in Singapore with two in five Singaporeans with Internet access now using Spotify.

“Singaporeans have embraced Spotify since we launched three years ago,” says Sunita Kaur, Managing Director for Spotify Asia. “We are now one of the favourite ways for Singaporeans to enjoy music and we’re looking forward to improving the service even further over the coming months.

“Music is an integral part of many lives and it is no different here in Singapore. We believe Spotify is the perfect music streaming companion. We offer users the best features and content - both international and local – that has proven so popular with music fans here.”

Since Spotify launched in Singapore, users in the country have spent 11.4 billion minutes streaming on Spotify, with the number of users having grown at least 50% year on year. They spend, on average, 108 minutes a day streaming music from the platform, generally between 2pm and 6pm.

Some of the most streamed playlists in Singapore include Today's Top Hits, Pop Chillout, Pop Ballads, Peaceful Piano, and Acoustic Covers which are all compiled by Spotify's own expert music curators. The most streamed artist in Singapore over the past year has been Justin Bieber, with the most popular song being One Dance by Drake featuring Kyla and Wizkid.

Interested?

Spotify Singapore offers over 30 million songs for free across mobile devices and desktops. Download the app. Spotify Premium, which provides ad-free, offline music, has various packages and can be billed via Singtel, StarHub and M1.

Alternatively, sign up with Singtel Music to enjoy Spotify Premium without worrying about your data usage. Options include paying S$7.90/month with a 12-month contract or S$9.90/month with no contract.

Read the TechTrade Asia blog post about the launch of Singtel Music

All tucked in, but mind's still buzzing? We're thing out a new playlist called White Noise - filled with tunes to put you to zzzzz. Try the link in our prof! #Singapore #Spotify #spotifysg #playlist #music #sgmusic #musicsg #betterwithmusic #playlist #spotifyplaylist #cat #instacat #bedtime #sleep #sleepmusic #whitenoise

A photo posted by SpotifySG (@spotifysg) on May 16, 2016 at 3:41am PDT

Hashtags: #Spotify, #spotifysg

RINGS.TV offers broadcasting box to subscribers, free for a limited time

Source: RINGS.TV.

Need to broadcast video anywhere, anytime? The RiBox is the first broadcasting device offered by the makers of the Singapore-based mobile app RINGS.TV to do just that, for its community.

The RiBox weighs 150g and measures 78mm (W) × 113mm (L) × 25mm (D) and has up to 3.3 hours of operation time. It is attached to a recording device with HDMI input and will stream events live on the RINGS.TV platform thereafter at resolutions of up to 720p. Video is encoded in real-time with H.264 compression and AAC audio at up to 10 Mbps. The device does require connectivity, either wired LAN or Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac).

Bryan Loh, Chief Operating Officer of RINGS.TV said, “At 5% of the cost of traditional broadcasting, the RiBox is an invaluable gadget that will enable even the layman user to broadcast live from anywhere in the world and to connect with global communities online.”

Interested?

The RiBox is available for orders now and is offered to RINGS.TV content partners for free for a limited period. To operate the box users will need an account with RINGS.TV.

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Guvera announces Apple TV support, product update

Source: Guvera.

Guvera, the brand-funded music streaming service, has announced a major product upgrade and integration with Apple TV. 

The Guvera 3.0 app features music channels as well as a new range of editorial content – including artist interviews, news articles, reviews, photo galleries, brand competitions, and products. 

“Music is not just about the tracks - there's an entire culture and lifestyle integral to each genre. While we continuously innovate our product offering to enhance the immersive entertainment experience for our users beyond the app, we are equally committed to creating a complete and dynamic experience on our digital platforms,” said Hazel Savage, Head of Marketing and Operations, Guvera Asia.

In addition, Guvera is making music discovery more personal thanks to new social features that allow listeners to share songs, playlists, and articles directly with their followers in-app or on social media platforms. Brands and artists can now also engage with their followers by sharing curated playlists or the latest albums.

“Music is all about connecting people and expressing ideas and culture. This is why we’ve super-charged Guvera Social and introduced Music Channels,” said Robb Snell, Head of Product, Guvera. “We’re helping members more easily navigate their music experience and at the same time encouraging music discovery.

Guvera is one of the first brand-funded music streaming companies to launch on Apple TV. The support for Apple TV allows Guvera Platinum users to stream music through their Apple TV sets. The Guvera app, which is also available on the Apple Watch, makes music discovery personal on Apple TV with a simpler, more intuitive interface.

Said Damien King, Chief Technology Officer, Guvera: “Guvera has always focused on innovation and we’re thrilled to be one of the first music streaming services on the fourth generation platform.” 

Last year, Guvera extended advanced audio buffering technology to all users. The data saving function stores a copy of a downloaded song on the device, significantly reducing the data impact of playing the same song in future.

Interested?

Guvera on Apple TV is available to Platinum subscribers and can be downloaded on the osTV App Store. Guvera is available through App Store and the Google Play Store on iOS and Android

Going mobile-first can be the path to success

Source: Spotify. Kaur.

Spotify launched in Asia with mobile support as a priority, not as an afterthought or nice-to-have, says CommunicAsia2015 speaker Sunita Kaur, Managing Director, Asia, Spotify, as it saw that Asia is a growing mobile-only market. 

The mobile-first freemium strategy has fuelled growth in Spotify’s user base, which subsequently bumped up premium subscriber numbers at an average conversion rate of about 20%, Kaur said.

“We’re so committed to the freemium model on mobile because we completely agree with the labels that subscribers are key to bringing the industry back to health — and we need the free 'funnel' to drive subscription,” said Kaur. "By bringing listeners into our free, ad-supported tier, we migrate them away from piracy, which is rife in this part of the world.”

Ads are a big part of the strategy. In the second quarter of this year, Spotify is announcing the rollout of a new video ad product. Sponsored Sessions give brands ownership of 30 minute ad-free mobile sessions. Users opt-in to an ad-free experience by viewing a 15 or 30 second video on their mobile device.

For Spotify, another advantage of going mobile is the ability to provide personalised recommendations to fans across their daily activities. The result of tailoring the streaming experience is that users are spending an average of over 160 minutes listening, dancing or singing along to Spotify every day, she disclosed.

"There is no cookie-cutter approach, so consider if your mobile strategy will add value to your consumers’ lifestyles. Learn to build for the user, go beyond mobile-first, and go user-first,” concluded Kaur.

Kaur will be sharing insights on how businesses can implement a mobile marketing strategy at CommunicAsia2015 this June.

CommunicAsia2015 / EnterpriseIT2015 Exhibition
Incorporating:	SatComm2015
Date:	2-5 June 2015, Tuesday - Friday
Venue:	Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Levels B2,  1 & 3
Opening Hours:	2 to 4 June 2015: 10:30 am - 6 pm  5 June 2015: 10:30 am -  4 pm
Admission:	Business and trade professionals only
Website:	www.communicasia.com | www.goto-enterpriseit.com
CommunicAsia2015 Summit
Date:	2 to 5 June 2015, Tuesday - Friday
Venue:	Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, Level 3
Admission:	Registered delegates only
Website:	www.communicasia.com/conference/conference-highlights/

Global Jay Chou exclusive on Spotify from 16 to 18 December

Source: Spotify website.

Spotify, the music streaming service, today unveiled the latest single from Asian pop superstar Jay Chou, titled 算什麼男人 (What Kind of Man are You?).

With Jay Chou’s latest album, 【哎呦，不錯哦】(Aiyo, Not Bad), slated to be released on 26 December, Spotify is offering fans a glimpse into one of this year’s most anticipated album days before the album’s official mainstream release.

Jay Chou recently topped Spotify’s Year in Music charts for the most streamed Asian artist and this latest album will celebrate the artist’s return to the pop charts after a two-year break.

Said Sunita Kaur, Managing Director Asia, Spotify: “As one of the region’s most iconic artists, to give his millions of fans the chance to hear his music first is a landmark moment for us.”

Check out Jay Chou’s latest single here and follow him on Spotify. The single is available as a global exclusive only on Spotify from 16 - 18 December.