Gaana Beats Apple, Spotify As India’s Top Music Service

Music streamer Gaana has beaten Apple Music and YouTube as Indian consumer's most popular music streaming service.  Spotify barely registered on the survey.

In terms of popularity, Gaana at 25% was followed by Apple Music at 20%, YouTube at also at  20% and Wynk 14%, according to  the Music Streaming Apps Survey Report 2019 survey by CyberMedia Research (CMR).

JioSaavn Pro and Gaana Plus recently dropped their Premium rates by 75% after Spotify entered the market,

Why No Spotify?

Only 50% of the 2500 people surveyed said they were even aware of Spotify, which made its debut in the country in February. "As a new entrant, Spotify would have to look at 'creative' strategies to connect with Indians and India. Given the choices available in the market, and with competition from the likes of JioSaavn and Gaana, it would be interesting to see how Spotify capitalizes in such a hyper-competitive market," added Ram.

66% listened to music while in-transit, 22% per cent listened to music at home, while 14 per cent took work breaks and listened to music, according to the report.

"Music consumption in India is undergoing a slow but gradual evolution. In the 'streaming era', the way people listen to music is shaping the music industry. Digital music streaming has emerged as a mainstream channel for those on the move," Thomas George, Country Manager and Senior Vice President, CMR, said in a statement. 

"Music app preferences in India are dictated by the choice of songs available in music app library, with 'freemium' apps dominating paid subscriptions," said Prabhu Ram, Head – Industry Intelligence Group at CMR.