Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom provider, is set to close its music streaming app, Wynk Music, and transition its users to Apple Music. This significant move will give Airtel customers exclusive access to Apple Music, further intensifying competition in the music streaming market against major players like Spotify, JioSaavn, and Amazon Music.

An Airtel spokesperson confirmed the decision, stating that Wynk Music will be discontinued, and users will be migrated to Apple Music. Wynk Premium subscribers will receive special offers from Airtel for Apple Music. The company also assured that all employees of Wynk Music would be absorbed within the broader Airtel ecosystem.

This transition is expected to shift millions of Wynk users to Apple Music, strengthening the US-based streaming service's presence in India. According to a report by Redseer Strategy Consultants, Spotify currently leads the Indian music streaming market with a 26% share of all streams as of March 2023. The move by Airtel could reshape the competitive landscape, offering Apple Music a larger audience.

Wynk Music had achieved over 100 million downloads on Google’s Play Store before the decision to shut it down. In India, music streaming enjoys an audience of approximately 185 million, but only about 7.5 million users have paid subscriptions, according to a Ficci-EY 2024 report.

The decision to discontinue Wynk Music follows a strategic partnership between Bharti Airtel and Apple Inc. Through this collaboration, Airtel users will soon have access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music via premium Wi-Fi and postpaid plans. The partnership is expected to eventually extend to Airtel’s prepaid customers as well.

Amit Tripathi, Chief Marketing Officer and Executive Vice President of Customer Experience for Bharti Airtel, emphasized the value of this partnership, noting that it will enhance the entertainment options available to Airtel customers by providing access to Apple’s premium content globally.

As large-screen video content consumption grows rapidly in India, the appetite for high-quality content is on the rise. Apple TV+ is already available to iPhone, iPad, and Mac users for free, while Android users can access it through a web browser. The app is also accessible on Android-powered smart TVs, streaming sticks, and gaming devices.

Oliver Schusser, Vice President of Apple Music, Apple TV+, Sports, and Beats, expressed excitement about the collaboration, stating that Airtel customers in India will soon enjoy Apple’s extensive catalog of world-class films, television shows, and music.

Bharti Airtel Teams Up with Apple for Exclusive Access to Apple TV+ and Apple Music