Spotify keen on shifting focus to mobile as 52 percent of its users stream music on phones, tablets

With 52 percent of its users streaming music on mobile phones and tablets, Spotify is keen on building a loyal user base on mobile devices as Apple readies itself to present them with a streaming alternative, a report said.

The company told its brand advertisers at CES this week that mobile now accounts for the majority of listening, with 42 percent people streaming music on phones and 10 percent on tablets. Its desktop software handles and its web player, on the other hand, runs three percent, reported Tech Crunch.

The opening of shuffle play on phones and its ad-supported free tier on tablets in late 2013 has attracted more users to the music streaming service, the report said.

Apple's upcoming streaming service could come bundled with iPhones or at least pre-installed and may surpass Spotify's user count, which tallies 50 million active users every month and 12 million paying customers.

The company's best bet is to get people to create playlists, tune into personalized radio stations, build a music social graph and buy long-term subscriptions so that they don't hop on to a competitor.