Beyond music: Value-adds may push music subscription growth

India's music industry was estimated at ₹5,300 crore in 2024, projected to reach ₹7,800 crore by 2027, per the Ficci-EY media report of 2025.

Paid subscribers of music streaming apps in India were only 10-11 million in 2024, against an active user base of 175 million.

EY India and Indian Music Industry (IMI) released a study 'How India listens, streams and pays for music' showing paid subscriptions have risen to 14 million, still just 7% of 200 million total music app users.

The study surveyed over 15,000 smartphone users: 96% listen to music on phones, 80% for an hour daily, but only 38% had paid for music.

Non-payers said they could not distinguish the value of paid subscriptions, indicating a need for value-adds to drive growth.