India's second-largest telecom company Airtel said on Tuesday it was shutting down its Wynk Music streaming service, marking the latest departure of music apps in one of the world's biggest entertainment markets.
An Airtel spokesman said in a statement that Wink Music employees would be shifted to other parts of the Airtel business. Wink is part of a suite of free services that Airtel offers to its paying subscribers.
“Airtel customers will continue to have access to music streaming services through Apple Music. Additionally, Wynk Premium subscribers will receive special offers from Airtel on Apple services,” the spokesperson added.
The move was unexpected. Wink wasn't necessarily losing popularity, but its growth had been slowing. Wink Music accounted for about 5% of all music app downloads in the quarter ending in June 2018, according to brokerage UBS. That figure rose to 8% in the same quarter this year, indicating modest growth rather than decline. In Asia-Pacific, Wink Music has about 20% market share in downloads, according to Deutsche Bank.
But Indian music companies have struggled in recent years against international competitors such as Spotify and Apple Music, global platforms that offer streaming services in India for just $1.2-1.3 a month.
More to come later.