In a column for Variety late last month, Nick Jarjour, music entrepreneur, accurately pointed out that the music streaming industry is experiencing its ‘Gold Rush’ moment, and that for many of the platforms, looking beyond the US is key. With over one million users already subscribed to Spotify in India, the country has proven that it is an important part of the global market. With options aplenty (including Amazon, Apple, JioSaavn and Gaana), how do these new services measure?
Spotify
With its sheer volume of music (and podcasts), smart algorithms and social features, Spotify seems to be leading the race. Even before its launch, some music afficianados relied on VPNs to gain access to international versions, marvelling at the curated playlists. Not all of them are celebrating the India entry though. Ashvant Shanmugam, a Chennai-based logistics professional, used the app as a student in Singapore. “Maybe it’s the algorithms that cater to the local market, but in India, the homepage is full of playlists for local music, and you need to do a lot more research for international options.”
Free and premium versions (₹119 per month) available
YouTube Music
YouTube Music has received much less attention in the country, but it is not without its fans. For Pranav Chandra, a Bengaluru-based pilot, the switch from Amazon Music was an easy one to make, especially because the platform offers access to videos. While it may seem counterintuitive for the Google-owned company to launch a streaming service that could rival Google Music, fans contend that it has different features. For instance, it relies on years’ worth of your YouTube listening history and ‘likes’ to recommend songs, and can work particularly well for those who already consume much of their music on YouTube.
₹99 per month after a three-month free trial