Malaysia, Meet Spotify

The music streaming service, Spotify, is expanding into eight new markets from the current 20 world-wide, to places including Malaysia, Hong Kong and Singapore in Asia. Stockholm-based company already offers services in the United States, most of Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Spotify, which launched in 2008, is a free on-demand streaming service. People can pay to hear music without interruptions from advertising and the ability to play lists and preferences from any device any time.

On the Breakfast Grille is Sriram Krishnan, Spotify’s Head of New Markets for Asia Pacific.

He discusses:

-- Spotify's business model and the 'discovery' element

-- Its revenue model operating under a 'Freemium' model, and how this can be profitable

-- Why beating rampant digital piracy is the ultimate goal

-- Challanges for Spotify when moving into new markets

-- How to convince consumers in developing markets to pay for music

-- His response to criticism that Spotify had been failing to compensate artists fairly

-- How Spotify is planning to beat its competition