ByteDance, Parent Company of TikTok, to Shut Down Music Streaming Service Resso in India on January 31

 

ByteDance is set to shut down its music streaming service, Resso, in India at the end of this month, according to sources familiar with the matter. The move follows the removal of Resso from both Google Play and Apple App Store after an order from the Indian government in mid-December 2023.

As of now, Resso is still functional, allowing users to stream songs on both the mobile app and desktop website. However, subscriptions cannot be purchased on either platform. In response to queries from Moneycontrol, a ByteDance spokesperson stated, "Unfortunately, owing to local market conditions, we can no longer continue to serve users of Resso in India. We have therefore decided to shut down Resso and its associated operations on January 31. Users will be offered a refund of their remaining subscription fees."

ByteDance, known for the popular short video app TikTok, launched Resso in India, Indonesia, and Brazil in March 2020. The app allowed users to stream music across various genres and languages through free and paid subscription plans. In May 2023, Resso transitioned to a premium-only service by scrapping its free tier, aiming to enhance the user experience for music fans while providing more opportunities for rights holders and artists.

ByteDance has faced challenges in India, with the government previously banning several of its apps, including TikTok, Helo, and CapCut, citing national security concerns in 2020. Despite this, Resso managed to escape the ban and became the top-grossing mobile app in the music and audio category on the Play Store in India. However, the app was also taken down in Indonesia and Brazil in 2023, with the service officially shutting down in these markets on September 5, 2023.

Sources revealed that ByteDance has no plans to introduce TikTok Music, a subscription-based music streaming service launched in Brazil and Indonesia, to India. Resso faced competition from domestic and international players in India, such as Spotify, YouTube Music, Gaana, JioSaavn, Wynk, and Amazon Music.

According to app intelligence firm Sensor Tower, Resso had over 250 million installs since its launch and had been among the top-grossing mobile apps on Google Play Store in India. The app was the biggest market for Resso in terms of downloads and monthly active users, as of May 2023.

A recent EY-FICCI media and industry report stated that around 208 million people streamed music online in 2022 in India, with a paid subscriber base of approximately 4 to 5 million. The report projects the paid subscriber base to surpass 8 million by 2025, with revenues for the segment reaching around Rs 1,600 crore in 2022, primarily driven by advertising revenues, which accounted for over 80 percent.

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