Airtel shuts down Wynk Music, Introduces discounted Apple Music offers
Bharti Airtel will discontinue its streaming music platform, Wynk Music, ten years after its launch, and will integrate all employees into the broader Airtel ecosystem, a company spokesperson confirmed to Moneycontrol on August 27.
"We can confirm that Wynk Music will be sunset, and all Wynk music employees will transition into roles within Airtel," the spokesperson stated, following Bharti Airtel's announcement of a partnership with Apple Inc. to provide exclusive offers for Apple TV+ and Apple Music to Indian customers. Airtel users will gain access to Apple Music, while Wynk Premium subscribers will be offered special promotions for Apple Music, according to the company.
Wynk Music, launched in 2014, enabled users to download songs for offline listening, set caller tunes, enjoy podcasts, and stream music in various regional languages.
On August 27, Airtel revealed its strategic collaboration with Apple to deliver exclusive offers for Apple TV+ and Apple Music to its users in India. As part of the partnership, Airtel Xstream customers will be able to access Apple TV+ content through premium Airtel WiFi and postpaid plans, enhancing the value of Airtel Xstream fibre services.
Also Read: "Black Myth: Wukong" surpassed 10 million copies sold within just three days of its release
The exclusive offers for Apple Music and Apple TV+ will be made available to Airtel customers in India later this year. According to sources, Airtel decided to discontinue Wynk Music as it was no longer commercially viable without a clear monetization strategy. "Music streaming monetization in India is already low, and Airtel wanted to offer a superior service in this space. Apple, being a global leader in music streaming, was the natural choice," a source familiar with the decision told Moneycontrol.
The partnership is expected to benefit both companies, with Apple gaining access to quality subscribers through Airtel's network. "As part of the deal, Airtel will provide Apple Music subscriptions at a significantly lower, discounted rate than Apple's standard pricing. These exclusive plans will only be available to Airtel customers and not through any other telecom operator," the source added.
Additionally, the collaboration between Apple and Airtel is set to include a carrier billing arrangement, allowing Apple to further monetize its music streaming and OTT services.
Despite having around 185 million active users in 2023, only about 7.5 million users, or roughly 4%, paid for music streaming subscriptions, according to a March 2024 EY-FICCI report. The report highlights the difficulty of converting users to paid subscriptions due to the abundance of free music options on platforms like YouTube, as well as FM radio access in cars and mobile devices. This has raised concerns about the profitability of audio streaming services, potentially leading to consolidation or closures in the near future.
Airtel had previously explored the possibility of merging Wynk with Times Internet and Tencent-backed Gaana, but discussions ultimately fell through. Gaana was later acquired by Times Group subsidiary Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL) in December 2023 for Rs 25 lakh.
Comments