Oct 10 (Reuters) - Spotify's ( SPOT ) free music and

podcasts service option is now available in South Korea, the

audio streaming platform said on Thursday, as it looks to widen

its audience base.

The streaming giant's freemium business model offers both a

free, limited ad-supported service and an unlimited premium

subscription service.

Spotify ( SPOT ) said that the move will enable them to better

connect global audience with Korean music, which includes K-pop.

Users in South Korea can now sign-up for a free account to

access Spotify's ( SPOT ) playlists, podcasts, and daily mix among others

and can further choose to upgrade to premium on-demand, ad-free

music.

"Brands who advertise on Spotify's ( SPOT ) free tier can deliver

their message effectively as Spotify ( SPOT ) ads capture twice as much

attention than social media platforms globally," the company

said.

Since the launch of Spotify ( SPOT ) in South Korea in 2021, the

average monthly streams of artists from the country on the

platform now surpass 5.8 billion streams, Spotify ( SPOT ) said.