Close X
Friday, November 1, 2024
ADVT 
India

'India Is A Very Important Country For Amazon'

Darpan News Desk IANS, 11 Jul, 2019 08:21 PM

    They tweaked the model of Amazon Prime Music before launching it in India, and Steve Boom, Vice President of Amazon Music, says they are happy with the way things fell in place for the streaming music service in the country.


    He added that the Indian market is evolving, and he feels there will be room for a more "premium" service in the country soon.


    "What we did in India is a little different. We have a two-tier service -- we have prime membership with crafted catalogue of music of about two million songs, and then if you want to access to the full 50 million catalogue of songs then we have Amazon Prime Music Unlimited with a monthly payment option," Boom told IANS here, on the sidelines of the Prime Day Concert, which had an all-female line-up with Grammy-winning pop star Taylor Swift headlining the event.


    "India is a little different. We took unlimited music and called it Prime Music. There is just a one-tier service. We did that because the competitive landscape is different in India. You have far more expansive free services," he added.


    Amazon Prime Music was launched in the US in 2014 as an add-on to Amazona's video streaming service. It came to India in February 2018.


    How has the Indian market evolved?


    "It is no secret that India is a very important country for Amazon. We have invested heavily and had great success (in the country). Prime has been very successful and is growing extremely fast in India. The video service is also doing very well with a lot of great of original content."


    Launching a music service in India, however, is a different ball game.


    "It is different to bring music service to India than other countries because of licensing. In most of Western Europe, you can secure licences by negotiating a deal in New York or Los Angeles. India, however, is dominated by local labels. So, we had to hire a local team and do all the negotiations. It took a little longer," he said.


    Boom points out there is a demand for offline music in India.


    "One of the things that we have seen in India is the importance of taking music offline. The demand is higher. I think that is a reflection of network conditions. With the growth of 4G in India, however, that may change over time.


    "Another difference is India is a country with so many languages and so many cultures. We have different pockets of customers here," he said.


    Is there a scope to come out with a paid or a more premium option in India anytime soon?


    "There will be room in India for some sort of a premium tier. I know the industry would like to see that over time. I don't know if anybody knows what it will look like yet but I do think that there is room for that."

     

    MORE India ARTICLES

    On Calling Release Of Water To Pakistan ‘Motivated’, Amarinder Singh's Reply

    Punjab Ekta Party (PEP) chief Sukhpal Singh Khaira on Wednesday had reportedly alleged that excess flow of water was being diverted to Pakistan from Harike headworks even as the state's canals were running dry in the summer season.  

    On Calling Release Of Water To Pakistan ‘Motivated’, Amarinder Singh's Reply

    UP Man Drowns Wife Allegedly For Refusing To Have Sex With 'Tantrik'

    UP Man Drowns Wife Allegedly For Refusing To Have Sex With 'Tantrik'
    After drowning the woman, Maanpal and the occultist, identified as Santdas Durga Das, swam across the river, fleeing to neighbouring Badaun district.  

    UP Man Drowns Wife Allegedly For Refusing To Have Sex With 'Tantrik'

    11-Year-Old In Mizoram Carries Girl On Back To Save Her From Kidnapper

    11-Year-Old In Mizoram Carries Girl On Back To Save Her From Kidnapper
    The 11-year-old tracked the girl and the woman who kidnapped her. Sensing an opportunity, he ran carrying the kidnapped child on her back  

    11-Year-Old In Mizoram Carries Girl On Back To Save Her From Kidnapper

    Punjab Gets Rs 57 Lakh GST Refund On 'Langar' In Gurdwaras

    Punjab Gets Rs 57 Lakh GST Refund On 'Langar' In Gurdwaras
    Badal thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the promise by initiating the process for the first time of refunding the Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed on religious institutions.

    Punjab Gets Rs 57 Lakh GST Refund On 'Langar' In Gurdwaras

    100-CR FRAUD CASE: Ponty Chadha’s Son Manpreet Singh Chadha Held From Delhi Airport While 'Escaping' To Thailand

    Manpreet Singh Chadha, the Vice-Chairman of the Wave Group, has been arrested in connection to a Rs 100 crore fraud case, a police officer said here on Thursday.  

    100-CR FRAUD CASE: Ponty Chadha’s Son Manpreet Singh Chadha Held From Delhi Airport While 'Escaping' To Thailand

    Centre Releases Rs 57 Lakh As GST Refund For Langars: Harsimrat Badal

    Centre Releases Rs 57 Lakh As GST Refund For Langars: Harsimrat Badal
    The three-time Bathinda Member of Parliament thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for fulfilling the promise made to the Sikh community by initiating the process of refunding the Goods and Services Tax (GST) imposed on religious institutions.

    Centre Releases Rs 57 Lakh As GST Refund For Langars: Harsimrat Badal