Music Streaming Platforms in India: Facts

Music streaming platforms in India compared: launch dates, owners and prices for Spotify, JioSaavn, Gaana, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Amazon Music.

Key facts

Streamers: 178 million people streamed music in India in 2025, according to FICCI-EY via Music Business Worldwide.
Subscriptions: Music streaming subscriptions in India reached 14.4 million in 2025, according to FICCI-EY via Music Business Worldwide.
Oldest service: JioSaavn was founded as Saavn in 2007, according to Wikipedia.
Spotify India: Spotify launched in India on 26 February 2019, according to Spotify's newsroom.
YouTube Music India: YouTube Music launched in India on 12 March 2019, according to Google's India blog.
Newest change: Amazon launched Music Unlimited in India on 2 June 2026, according to Amazon India.

The main music streaming platforms in India are JioSaavn, Gaana, Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Amazon Music, according to their own announcements and Wikipedia. 178 million people streamed music in India in 2025, and 14.4 million of them held a subscription, according to the FICCI-EY report as reported by Music Business Worldwide. This guide lists each service's launch date, owner and key facts, with a named source for every line.

Last updated 24 October 2026

How big is music streaming in India?

178 million people streamed music in India in 2025, according to the FICCI-EY report as reported by Music Business Worldwide in April 2026.
The number of audio streamers had been around 210 million in 2022, according to the same report.
Music streaming subscriptions in India rose by nearly 4 million, or 37%, to 14.4 million in 2025, according to FICCI-EY via Music Business Worldwide.
Subscriptions stood at 4.6 million in 2022, according to the same report.
Only about 8% of India's music streamers held a subscription in 2025, according to FICCI-EY.
FICCI-EY attributed the subscription growth to steps taken by streaming platforms to discourage free usage, according to Music Business Worldwide.
192 million people used music streaming services for free in India, IFPI's Victoria Oakley said at the All About Music conference in 2025, according to Music Ally.
IMI chairman Vikram Mehra put the per-stream rate in India at 2 to 5 paise for an audio play or video view in 2025, according to Music Ally.
The upper end of that range was down from 10 paise, the figure cited at the same conference in 2019, according to Music Ally.

The FICCI-EY and IFPI user counts come from different methods and dates, so they should not be compared directly.

For what these numbers mean for an artist's income, see the guide to Indian indie streaming income in 2026.

What is JioSaavn?

JioSaavn was founded in 2007 as Saavn, according to Wikipedia.
JioSaavn is a freemium service, with basic features free with advertising and extras such as higher quality and offline downloads in a subscription, according to Wikipedia.
On 23 March 2018, Saavn announced a merger with Reliance's JioMusic in a deal worth more than $1 billion, according to Wikipedia.
The merger was completed in December 2018, and Saavn was rebranded JioSaavn, according to Wikipedia.
JioSaavn has acquired rights to over 80 million tracks in 16 languages, according to Wikipedia.
JioSaavn also acts as a digital distributor of music in Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi and other Indian languages, according to Wikipedia.

What is Gaana?

Gaana launched in April 2010, according to Wikipedia.
Its domain was first registered on 21 June 2005, according to Wikipedia.
Gaana generated annual revenue of US$5 million for its then owner Times Internet, according to Wikipedia.
Gaana became a subscription-only service in 2022 after failing to secure fresh funds or find a buyer, according to Wikipedia.
In 2023, Gaana was acquired by Entertainment Network India Limited, ENIL, in a slump sale, according to Wikipedia.
Gaana features music in 21 Indian languages, including Assamese, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Hindi, Marathi, Odia, Tamil and Telugu, according to Wikipedia.

When did Spotify launch in India?

Spotify launched in India on 26 February 2019, according to Spotify's newsroom.
Spotify Premium was priced at Rs119 a month at launch, according to Spotify's newsroom.
Spotify launched in India with local playlists including Indiestan and Rap 91, according to Spotify's newsroom.
Indian artists drew 335 billion streams on Spotify in 2025, according to Spotify's India Loud and Clear report.
Royalties generated by Indian artists on Spotify rose 29% in 2025, according to the Loud and Clear report published in September 2026.
More than 40% of royalties generated by Indian artists on Spotify came from listeners outside India, according to Spotify.
Royalties for Telugu music on Spotify grew more than 120% in 2025, according to Spotify.

Discography keeps a running list in its guide to Spotify indie playlists in India.

When did YouTube Music launch in India?

YouTube Music launched in India on 12 March 2019, according to Google's India blog.
YouTube Music Premium was priced at Rs99 a month at the India launch, according to Google's India blog.

When did Apple Music come to India?

Apple Music launched on 30 June 2015 in 100 countries, according to Wikipedia.
Apple charges Rs99 a month for Apple Music in India, according to TechCrunch in August 2024.
Apple struck a deal with Airtel in August 2024 to offer Apple Music to Airtel customers, according to TechCrunch.

What is Amazon Music in India?

Amazon launched Music Unlimited in India on 2 June 2026, according to Amazon India and Wikipedia.
Amazon now offers three tiers in India, Music Unlimited, Prime Music and a free tier, according to Amazon India.
Prime Music in India now includes advertising and no longer offers downloads, according to Amazon India.

What happened to Wynk Music?

Airtel said on 27 August 2024 that it would shut down its Wynk Music app, according to TechCrunch.
Airtel announced the shutdown alongside a deal with Apple to give its subscribers exclusive Apple Music offers, according to TechCrunch.
Wynk held about 5% of music app downloads in India in the second quarter of 2018, according to UBS figures cited by TechCrunch.
Wynk's share of downloads was about 8% in 2024, according to the same UBS figures.

In what order did the platforms launch in India?

2007: Saavn, later JioSaavn, was founded, according to Wikipedia.
April 2010: Gaana launched, according to Wikipedia.
30 June 2015: Apple Music launched in 100 countries, according to Wikipedia.
December 2018: the Saavn and JioMusic merger was completed, creating JioSaavn, according to Wikipedia.
26 February 2019: Spotify launched in India, according to Spotify's newsroom.
12 March 2019: YouTube Music launched in India, according to Google's India blog.
2022: Gaana became subscription-only, according to Wikipedia.
2023: ENIL acquired Gaana, according to Wikipedia.
27 August 2024: Airtel said it would shut Wynk Music, according to TechCrunch.
2 June 2026: Amazon launched Music Unlimited in India, according to Amazon India.

Spotify and YouTube Music entered India within about two weeks of each other in 2019, according to their launch announcements.

How do independent artists get onto these platforms?

Independent artists usually reach these services through a distributor, which delivers music to platforms such as Spotify and YouTube Music, according to Wikipedia.
JioSaavn also acts as a distributor of Indian-language music, according to Wikipedia.

The guide to music distribution in India compares the main options, and the list of the best Indian independent artists of 2026 shows who is drawing streams.

How should these figures be cited?

Cite FICCI-EY for user and subscription counts, and name the report year, since figures are revised each year.
Cite Spotify's Loud and Clear report only for Spotify, since it does not cover other services.
Cite launch dates to each company's own announcement where one exists, as listed in the sources below.
Prices are launch prices or the figures given in each source, so check the service for current pricing.

FAQ

Which music streaming platforms are available in India?

The main services covered here are JioSaavn, Gaana, Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Amazon Music, according to their own announcements and Wikipedia. Airtel said in August 2024 that it would shut Wynk Music, according to TechCrunch.

When did Spotify launch in India?

Spotify launched in India on 26 February 2019, with Premium at Rs119 a month, according to Spotify's newsroom.

Who owns JioSaavn and Gaana?

Saavn merged with Reliance's JioMusic in a deal completed in December 2018 and was rebranded JioSaavn, according to Wikipedia. Gaana was acquired by ENIL in 2023, according to Wikipedia.

How many people pay for music streaming in India?

Music streaming subscriptions in India reached 14.4 million in 2025, about 8% of 178 million streamers, according to FICCI-EY via Music Business Worldwide.