Apple has expanded two major services after unusually long waits in several markets. Apple Pay has finally reached India, while Apple Music has entered four additional countries.
The developments highlight how regulations, banking requirements and licensing can slow the international rollout of digital services. In some cases, customers waited more than a decade.
Apple Music Reaches Four New Markets
Apple Music has expanded to Albania, Brunei, Burkina Faso and Pakistan. The move comes more than 11 years after Apple introduced the streaming service.
Apple originally unveiled Apple Music in June 2015 across more than 100 countries. However, those four markets remained outside its coverage until now.
The source provides no official explanation for the lengthy delay. It suggests that music licensing negotiations may have contributed, although it does not confirm that as the reason.
Still, the expansion gives listeners in all four countries direct access to Apple’s music streaming ecosystem.
Apple Pay Finally Arrives in India
Meanwhile, Apple has also launched Apple Pay in India. The payment service first debuted in 2014, and Apple revealed plans to pursue an Indian launch in 2017.
However, regulatory and technical requirements complicated those plans. The report points to financial rules introduced in 2022, alongside authentication and recurring-payment requirements.
India’s card tokenization framework created another challenge. Local banks needed to issue encrypted tokens, which required changes to Apple Pay’s security and authentication approach. Support for India’s Unified Payments Interface also added complexity.
Apple eventually began testing card payments in India in July 2026 after discussions with banks. That testing paved the way for the wider rollout several months later.
Global Expansion Can Take Time
The two launches show how different obstacles can delay Apple services internationally. Apple Pay faced significant regulatory and banking requirements in India.
By contrast, the report offers no confirmed reason for Apple Music’s slower expansion. Nevertheless, both services have now reached markets that waited years for access.
