After Apple, now US firm Rdio hums the India tune

New Delhi: Music streaming services are the latest in demand, and with the entry of global players, the war has begun, literally.

After the arrival of Apple Music, US-based Rdio, the world’s fourth-largest music streaming company, has now shown interest in India.

The company expects India to overtake the subscriber base of its largest market,the US, within the next five years.

“At present, India ranks among top five markets for us, specifically, it’s the fourth largest. However, we see India overtaking our top market, the US, within five years,” Scott Bagby, international president of Rdio, told HT.

The company did not disclose its total subscriber base.

The San Francisco-based digital music streaming provider entered the Indian market earlier this year, after the acquisition of domestic online streaming service Dhingana in March last year.

Mostly labelled as the ‘late comer’ in the industry dominated by players such as Gaana.com, Hungama, Apple Music and Saavn, Rdio has launched the cheapest entry-level subscription price of Rs60 (called Rdio Select) to win against rivals.

“To pick our slice of consumers in the ‘price conscious’ Indian market, we have launched our cheapest  subscription models,” Bagby said.

The company’s full subscription model will be priced at Rs99 per month, against services of Rs99 to Rs120 per month offered by most rivals. Rdio’s Indian subscription charges are ten to six times lower than the US subscription charges (Rs 630).

Rdio India has made its first move to strengthen its leadership team here by appointing Shamik Talukder, former vice-president at Viacom 18, as country head.

Also, the company has moved its office from Pune to Mumbai and terms it as the ‘second-largest investment’ made by it after the US.

Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.