On what exact date did Spotify launch its service?

Spotify launched its service on 7 October 2008.

The launch took place in Sweden, where the company had been founded in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. Spotify’s central idea was to make licensed music streaming more convenient than piracy, combining rapid access to a large catalogue with a legal way to compensate rights holders.

The date is sometimes confused with other milestones. Spotify opened public registration for its free service in the United Kingdom in February 2009, expanded into the United States in July 2011, and was founded in April 2006. Those are important company-history dates, but they are not the original service launch.

The early product used an invitation-based model in several markets and relied on advertising alongside paid subscriptions. This launch helped establish the pattern Spotify still uses: a free, ad-supported tier alongside premium listening. Its later international expansion, mobile apps, podcasts, and audiobooks all came after the original Swedish debut.