Bytedance launches music app Resso in beta, premium plan at Rs 119 per month in India

Six months after securing rights from Indian labels T-Series and Times Music, Bytedance, the China-headquartered most valuable startup, has been quietly testing a music app in India.

Known for its popular short video-sharing app TikTok, Bytedance has been testing the music app Resso since May this year.

The beta app, which is available on Google Play Store and iOS App Store, displays real-time lyrics and lets users post their comments under individual songs.

Unlike other music apps in India, users are also allowed to make music-accompanied GIFs and videos, similar to its popular short-video app TikTok.

Currently, it offers a 14-day free trial for listeners.

The app offers a monthly paid subscription service, which costs Rs 119 ($1.70) in India. Premium Resso users will be able to download music and listen ad-free.

"Resso is currently in a beta testing phase. We are optimistic about its long-term prospects but are still very early in the process to share any further details," said Resso spokesperson in a statement.

Entrackr's detailed queries to Bytedance on the music app remains unanswered.

Through on-demand music app, the Beijing-headquartered firm is looking for a new revenue stream beyond advertising in the emerging markets.

In the past couple of years, India has emerged as a battleground for video and music streaming services. This is primarily due to the rising number of smartphone users and the proliferation of cheap data.

Early this year, Swedish streaming giant Spotify and Youtube had entered the Indian music market. Resso will compete with these global musical apps, including incumbents like Amazon Music, JioSaavn, Gaana, and Hungama.

Gaana, which emerged as the most favoured app in India in a study, had said that its active users base was over 100 million.

According to a Deloitte study, online music listening market is expected to cross $273 million by March 2020. At present, there are more than 150 million online consumers on online streaming apps in India.

(The post has been updated with Resso spokesperson statement )