Apple Music has signed a new contract with Indian telecom giant Bharti Airtel, which will provide its members with an exclusive music streaming option.
Airtel will bundle Apple TV+ for its premium subscribers in India, while discontinuing the Wynk Music app. Customers who have signed up for Airtel’s premium internet and postpaid services will have Apple TV+ included in their plans. Airtel has announced that Wynk Music subscribers would enjoy additional discounts. As a result of the partnership, Apple Music and Apple TV+ are expected to attract millions of new members when the contract goes live.
Apple TV+ and Apple Music currently cost 99 rupees ($1.2 per month) in India. The Airtel arrangement is likely to reduce the company’s average revenue in the region, but Apple may be fine with that as it seeks further adoption in the country. Nearly 90% of smartphones in India run on the Android operating system, thus telecom arrangements make Apple Music and Apple TV+ available to those who are not currently part of the Apple ecosystem in India.
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“We are thrilled that Airtel customers in India will soon be able to enjoy all of the incredible content on Apple TV+ and Apple Music,” says Oliver Schusser, Apple’s VP of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats. “With our ever growing catalog of world-class film, television shows, and music to choose from we know there will be something for everyone.”
According to research company UBS, Wynk Music accounted for approximately 5% of all music app downloads in the quarter ending June 2018. The figure has risen to 8% for the same quarter in 2024, indicating moderate growth for the music platform. Wynk Music accounted for approximately 20% of the downloaded music market, which makes sense for Apple to target as a’replacement’ music streaming product.
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“Airtel customers will still have access to music streaming services through Apple Music,” an Airtel official says of the agreement. “Moreover, Wynk Premium subscribers will receive exclusive offers from Airtel for Apple services,” they told us. Airtel’s major competition in India is Jio, which has expanded its content and service bundles linked to cellular tariffs.
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