Universal Music Group (UMG) will restrict access to its new releases in India to paid streaming subscribers for the first 72 hours after release, a policy set to take effect at the end of August. After that window, the music will become available on ad-supported tiers.
The change covers all new music from major domestic and international artists on both global and regional streaming platforms operating in India. During the company’s July 30 earnings call, UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge described the initiative as part of a push to build more robust music markets in China and India.
The strategy follows a 2019 move in which UMG collaborated with leading Chinese streaming services to place domestic and international music behind a paywall. China has since become the world’s fourth-largest recorded music market.
