Bollywood on Spotify: why have songs disappeared - when will they be back on music streaming service

Bollywood music fans are venting their frustration at streaming service Spotify as hundreds of their favourite songs have disappeared from the app.

Spotify explained this has been caused by a failure to reach a new agreement with the owners of the Bollywood tracks after the old deal expired. Popular Bollywood hits with millions of plays including Malhari from epic romance Bajirao Mastani or Kala Chasma from Baar Baar Dekho were among those deleted along with a string of other fan favourites.

The news has led to backlash with a number of Spotify users who have been left with huge holes in their playlists. But what has Spotify said about the removal of Bollywood hits and are they likely to return to the app in the near future? Here is everything you need to know.

Why have Bollywood songs disappeared on Spotify?

Spotify has removed many of its Bollywood songs as it failed to reach an agreement with the Indian record label Zee Music which owns the rights to a number of songs.

Zee Music is amongst the largest record labels in India and it owns the rights to a number of big hits including the number 1 track from the last two weeks Bana Le from the film Bhediya. The company has over 93 million subscribers on YouTube and it is a part of Zee Entertainment Enterprises, a media conglomerate with interests in television, print, websites and film production and distribution.

Spotify told Billboard: “Spotify and Zee music have been unable to reach a licensing agreement. Throughout these negotiations, Spotify has tried to find creative ways to strike a deal with Zee Music and will continue in good faith negotiations in hopes of finding a mutually agreeable solution soon.”

Spotify explains on its website that it doesn’t provide access to all the music and podcasts in the world and like other streaming apps such as Netflix it makes licensing deals with publishers so it is allowed to play their tracks.

How have fans reacted to the news?

Bollywood fans have expressed their frustration at Spotify as they lost a huge number of their favourite songs.

One fan wrote on Twitter: “@Spotify India can’t you give us a week’s notice before abruptly removing Bollywood songs and destroying our playlists because you couldn’t secure the rights?”

Another added: “Begging Spotify to renew their agreement with whoever to get them Bollywood songs back I will literally go insane pls Bollywood is the only thing keeping me connected to the motherland.”

Some fans have even threatened to move to a different streaming provider if the issue does not get resolved.

One person tweeted: “That’s it I’m moving to Apple Music, can’t believe #spotify has took down all my Bollywood songs. I’m crying.”