The music streaming service Spotify has cancelled plans to open offices and launch in Russia.
Quoted by RBC and The Moscow Times, Alexander Kubaneishvili, who had ben hired to head the business in Russia, said: “With regret I inform you that Spotify has decided against launching in Russia for the foreseeable future. There are several reasons — the economic crisis, the political situation, new laws and the regulation of the internet”.
Spotify had originally planned to launch in Russia last October.
However, its debut was then put back to this spring, apparently because it had failed to reach agreements with mobile operators.
Kubaneishvili, who has previously worked for Google, Microsoft and Gigafone Technologies, will leave Spotify this month.
Spotify was launched in 2006 and is currently present in 58 markets.
It has over 15 million paying subscribers and over 60 million active users.
