Airtel Shuts Down Wynk Music, Shifts Focus to Apple Music with Exclusive Offers

Airtel is set to close its music streaming service, Wynk Music, and transition its users to Apple Music. As part of this move, Airtel customers will gain access to exclusive Apple Music deals not available elsewhere.

Bharti Airtel has announced the decision to discontinue Wynk Music after a decade of service. All employees from Wynk Music will be integrated into Airtel’s ecosystem, as confirmed by a company spokesperson on August 27.

“We can confirm that Wynk Music will be sunset, and all employees will be absorbed within the Airtel ecosystem,” stated the spokesperson. This announcement follows Bharti Airtel’s partnership with Apple Inc., offering exclusive deals on Apple Music and Apple TV+ for Indian users.

Airtel customers will soon have access to Apple Music, with special offers available to Wynk Premium users. These offers are part of Airtel’s strategy to enhance its digital services by providing better music streaming options.

Wynk Music, launched in 2014, allowed users to download music for offline listening, set caller tunes, listen to podcasts, and stream music in multiple regional languages. Despite its features, the service will be discontinued as Airtel shifts focus to its new partnership with Apple.

On August 27, Airtel announced a strategic partnership with Apple to bring exclusive deals for Apple Music and Apple TV+ in India. This collaboration allows Airtel Xstream customers to access Apple TV+ content with premium WiFi and Postpaid plans, enhancing Airtel’s Xstream fiber offering.

These exclusive Apple Music and Apple TV+ offers will be available later this year, exclusively to Airtel customers in India.

According to sources, Airtel’s decision to shut down Wynk Music was driven by the lack of a viable monetization strategy. Music streaming monetization in India remains low, and Airtel aims to provide a superior service in this space by partnering with Apple, a global leader in music streaming.

The partnership is also expected to benefit Apple by acquiring quality subscribers through Airtel’s platform. Airtel will offer Apple Music subscriptions at discounted rates, exclusively available to its customers.

Additionally, Airtel and Apple are working on a carrier billing alliance, which will further support the monetization of Apple’s OTT and music streaming services.

In 2023, music streaming apps in India had approximately 185 million active users, but only 7.5 million were paid subscribers, representing just 4 percent, according to an EY-FICCI report released in March 2024. The report highlights the challenges in converting free users to paid subscribers due to the abundance of free music options on platforms like YouTube and FM radio.

Airtel had previously considered merging Wynk with Times Internet and Tencent-backed Gaana, but talks fell through. Gaana was later acquired by Times Group’s subsidiary Entertainment Network India Limited (ENIL) in December 2023 for Rs 25 lakh.

This strategic shift marks Airtel’s commitment to offering enhanced music streaming services to its customers while addressing the challenges of monetization in the Indian market.