Audio streaming platform Hungama Music has partnered with Dolby Laboratories, enabling users with Dolby-enabled mobile devices to listen to music in Dolby format. It has tied up for its immersive surround sound technology called Dolby Atmos that offers more clarity and depth to music.
Dolby Laboratories is a San Francisco-based company that enhances sight and sound experiences in movies, television, music, sports and gaming.
“We have always worked towards elevating the consumer experience on our platform by combining technology with a diverse library. Our work with Dolby is yet another step towards offering Indian users a premium and high-quality music streaming experience. Through this our users will be able to listen to music in an even more immersive and engaging way,” Siddhartha Roy, chief operating officer, Hungama Digital Media said in a statement.
Mint had earlier reported that both the number of subscribers of audio streaming services and the time they spend listening have grown nearly 40% in 2020 across platforms. India’s audio streaming market is dominated by Gaana, the streaming service owned by Times Internet Ltd, with a 30% share, followed by JioSaavn (24%), Wynk Music (15%), Spotify (15%), Google Play Music (10%), and others (7%), according to a study by Kantar and audience measurement and analytics company VTION last January.
Apart from the rise of regional language music which now contributes 39% of all streams, up from 33% a year back across services, the covid-19 lockdown last year saw growth in specific playlists such as cleaning, home workouts, kids’ content and cooking. People developed relaxation and sleep rituals where audio has become an important part of the process. Specific activity based or ‘intent music listening’ is a habit that is here to stay, streaming services say.
While the majority of India’s most-streamed songs on platforms last year were from Bollywood, international and independent music too saw significant growth, reflecting India’s appetite for all kinds of music.
