Rdio Breaks Into Indian Market With Local Acquisition

When it come to music streaming services, these services tend to be typically available in regions like the US and Europe. This isn’t because the companies providing the service don’t want to expand, but sometimes it might be due to copyright issues and getting local record labels and publishers to come on board.

Well it looks like Rdio is making some inroads when it comes to expanding their music offerings as the company has recently acquired a streaming service from India called Dhingana for an undisclosed sum of money. In a way their timing could not have been better as Dhingana recently shut down in February as the company’s music label partner, T-Series, did not renew their licensing agreement with them.

By acquiring Dhingana, Rdio will be able to break into the Indian market with over one million songs in over 47 different languages. As it stands the company currently operates in over 51 countries and according to Rdio, they claim that over 50% of their active users come from users outside of the US market, making their entry into India all the more important.

Of course Rdio will have to compete with other local streaming services in India, such as Gaana and Saavn, both of whom have about 7.5 million and 11 million monthly subscribers respectively. According to Rdio’s CEO, Anthony Bay, “India is a tremendously vibrant market for music and culture and one of the largest and most important in the world. We are one of very few global companies that can provide a great music experience to an expanding international audience.”

Will Rdio’s entrance into markets such as India allow them to gain an advantage over their competition? We guess only time will tell, but the good news for those living in India is that they have more options to choose from now.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Audio
Tags: india, rdio