UMG Puts New Releases in India Behind 72-Hour Paywall
Only paid streaming subscribers will be able to access the music during that window
Universal Music Group (UMG) will make its new releases in India available exclusively to paid streaming subscribers for the first 72 hours after release. After that period, the music will also be available on ad-supported services.
Why it matters:
In the company’s earnings call on Thursday July 30, UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge said it was part of a push to build more robust music markets in China and India.
The India strategy mirrors a 2019 move in which UMG collaborated with major Chinese streaming services to put domestic and international music behind a paywall, as per Music Business Worldwide.
China is now the world’s fourth-largest recorded music market.
How it works:
The change will take effect at the end of August.
It covers new music from major domestic and international artists on both global and regional streaming platforms operating in India.
👋 Disclosures & Transparency Block
This story was written with information from Music Business Worldwide.
We covered it because it’s news of UMG’s streaming strategy in India.
