Airtel's Wynk closure may prompt audio streamers to shift to paid model

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. With Bharti Airtel folding up its Wynk Music app, the audio industry in India is on the brink of major disruption with the market having reached a stage of maturity where it’s turning away from the free model, experts said.

Companies will have to push for paid subscriptions to monetise the business and depend less on advertising. And, as price hikes by YouTube Premium show, greater focus will be required on differentiating one app from another, whether it is product and user experience, payment mechanisms or supporting independent artists creating exclusive content.

“All existing platforms are focusing on subscriptions but what is important is to own your place and identity, otherwise all services shall look the same," said Mandar Thakur, chief executive officer of Times Music. “The need is to stand for something as a brand and demonstrate some differentiation, else why will the customer pay?" This would mean helping more artists to break out with music that is independent of films, and investing in seamless user experiences and payment mechanisms, experts including Thakur said.

Spotify has tried to innovate by launching premium features such as Your Sound Capsule, which presents each user with their listening statistics for the year, including the most listened-to artists and songs. It has tried to ease the process of payment by making UPI an option.

“When Spotify launched in India in 2019, our focus was on building our premium proposition such that local consumers would see the value in paying for music," said Amarjit Batra, managing director - India, and general manager - South Asia, Middle East, and Africa, Spotify. “Ever since, we have experimented with local premium plans (the