Indian music streaming service Saavn has signed a licensing agreement with music heavyweights EMI and Warner Music to get access to their library of 8 lakh songs from popular international artists. Including the pre-existing library of Bollywood and other music from India, Saavn now gives users access to about 20 lakh songs. With the new agreement, Saavn is expected to take aim at the global music streaming market that crossed $1 billion in revenues in 2013. Keeping its ambitions in mind, Saavn also recently received funding from investors.
70% of Saavn’s users are currently from India which explains its large library of Indian music. Keeping in mind the high music piracy figures in India and the popularity of smartphones, an ad-powered free music streaming service like Saavn has a lot of potential. However, one big barrier it will have to face is the lack of good internet connectivity across India either from ISPs or network operators.
Saavn is currently accessible as both a desktop web based player and an app on Android and iOS. While using the app is free, you can opt for the Saavn Pro service that lets you download songs to your device (five devices max.) and removes all ads from the player for $3.99 (Rs. 245 approx.) per month. Saavn Lite is an India exclusive service that lets you use the player on one device, removes all ads and lets you download 3GB of music a month for Rs. 120 monthly. The same service is also available using carrier billing for Airtel and Vodafone subscribers who can pay Rs. 5 for a day of use, Rs. 30 for a week of use and Rs. 110 for a month.
Source: The Next Web