Music to our ears: Spotify launches in South Africa

There was a time when South Africa's tech-savvy would try and one-up each other by finding new, creative ways to cheat the system - and our geography - in order to get access to international music, movies and series online.

“Oh, you don’t have US Netflix? That’s too bad. All you need to do is download this, pay for that and you can trick Americans into thinking you're one of them," they'd say.

But slowly, things got better and overseas streaming services finally started to pay attention to SA. Now even those who had access to the 'fancy' American version of Netflix have mostly relented and signed up for the local one, much to the chagrin of other streaming players.

Now another big name is following in Netflix's footsteps:: Spotify, the world’s biggest music-streaming app has finally launched in SA.

There are a couple of good reasons why this streaming service has 160 million users worldwide. It has a fabulous playlist-creating algorithm and a user-friendly interface that comes alive when you connect with your friends via the platform. Not to mention a host of exclusive content from some of the worlds biggest artists (think Taylor Swift).

But the most exciting part is Spotify’s commitment to work with local talent. Here are some of the SA artists whose music you can look forward to streaming once you download the app:

• Kwesta
• Majozi
• Jeremy Loops
• Mi Casa
• DJ Black Coffee
• Goldfish
• Cassper Nyovest

There’s a free option, but it has limited access, and with high data prices, you’ll want the download-to-app option so you can cut out the need for constant streaming. There's a 30-day free trial period for a premium subscription, after which it'll cost you R59.99/month. Money well spent, we say.

• Spotify is available now on the Apple App Store, Google Play Store,and Microsoft Store. It also works on Xbox and PlayStation consoles as well as smart TVs and speakers.

• This article is adapted from one originally published on Wanted Online