Spotify Warns OTT Regulations for Music Streaming in India

Spotify's Chief Public Affairs Officer, Dustee Jenkins, disclosed that Indian artists were discovered over 11 billion times by listeners around the world on the platform in 2024 alone.

India's cultural exports are reaching new heights this time via music. As Indian artists keep creating waves globally, platforms such as Spotify are further fueling this soft power trend. CNBC-TV18 stated that Spotify's Chief Public Affairs Officer Dustee Jenkins announced that Indian artists were heard over 11 billion times by international listeners on the platform alone in 2024.

Arijit Singh is currently Spotify's most-followed artist globally, with more than 144 million followers, overtaking global stars such as Taylor Swift, who had almost 137 million by May 5, 2025. Jenkins credited this achievement to India's thriving artist base, increasing digital penetration and Spotify's localized features and programs.

Fifty percent of the last year's revenue generated by Indian artists was contributed by the outside markets, as per Jenkins.

Since coming to India in 2019, Spotify has introduced programs like RADAR, which supports breaking artists all over the world, and EQUAL, centered around giving voice to women in music. The platform also offers creators listener analysis through Spotify for Artists, so that artists can customize content, reach new geographies and even personalize city-level setlists.

But the optimism is against the backdrop of continued deliberations in the Indian government regarding regulation of music streaming services. In January 2024, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting suggested bringing music services under the Digital Media Ethics Code, which is now applicable to video-based OTT platforms.

Though the initiative is to drive more accountability, Jenkins cautioned against a move treating music streaming akin to video OTT being against its own goal. She admitted to the encouraging move by the government, which involved the notification of Rs 1,000 crore Creator Fund in favor of India's media and entertainment industries. But she was also warned against blanket guidelines increasing compliance expense and stifling creativity.