Deezer cuts subscription prices in Nigeria

The move follows in the footsteps of other music streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music and Boomplay, all of which have recently dropped their subscription fees in some African countries.

Deezer’s reductions will apply to Premium, Family and High-Fidelity (HiFi) packages. The platform’s users in Nigeria can now purchase the Premium package for ₦900 (about $2), with both the Family and HiFi options going for ₦1 400.

Subscribers will continue to have access to curated playlists such as Naija Heat, New Nigeria and Afrobeats, as well as an uninterrupted, ad-free experience including features like offline listening, access to lyrics on the go and SongCatcher, which identifies unknown tracks and lets users add them directly to their library, .

Additionally, Deezer users in Nigeria, who previously had to pay subscription fees in dollars, can now do so with their local currency.

“We want all music fans in Nigeria to have the best of both worlds,” Deezer senior vice-president for Europe, Asia and Africa Ralph Pighin said. “Whether it’s supporting local artists or discovering global artists, there’s something for just about everyone. Now, with our new affordable price, Nigerians have more reason to hit play and turn up the volume.”

The development also attends a similar announcement in January for users in Kenya, where the Deezer Premium plan now costs $3 – reduced from the previous $5. Interpreted by industry watchers as an attempt by the service to remain competitive, the move now puts the service on par with rival Apple Music, which also costs $3 in the country.

The price cut in Nigeria also comes a few days after the company disclosed that it is offering free three-month subscriptions to its users in South Africa.

Established in 2007 and currently available in more than 180 countries worldwide, Deezer boasts 16 million monthly active users and a catalogue comprising some 73 million tracks.

Meanwhile, Swedish streaming service Spotify in February announced that it would expand into over 80 new markets, including more than 30 African countries. In Nigeria, the platform's packages start at ₦450. The expansion means Spotify will soon be active in about 173 countries, while Apple Music operates in 167 markets.