Facebook and Instagram’s music strategy continues to expand around the globe with the launch of its music products in India.
After launching in Brazil in June, music stickers on Stories, Lyrics on Instagram, Lip Sync Live, adding music to your Facebook profile and other services are now live in the sub-continent, one of the fastest developing music markets in the world. The products are now available in over 55 countries worldwide, after the social media giant struck licensing deals with the major labels, Merlin and local labels including T-Series Music, Zee Music Company and Yash Raj Films.
“Facebook and music share something special,” said Manish Chopra, director and head of partnerships for Facebook India. “They both bring people together and enable personal expression. And that’s why music is important for us. We want to make it possible for the Facebook and Instagram communities to express themselves and connect around music on our platforms. With India’s strong music ecosystem, we're thrilled to open up the ability for people in the country to include music in the moments they share on our platforms. We've partnered with the Indian music community to enable these new products, and we look forward to seeing all the ways people in India use them to express themselves in fun and engaging ways.”
India has become an increasingly important market for the international music industry, with Spotify and YouTube Music launching there earlier this year, although Spotify walked straight into a row with Warner Music Group over licensing in the territory. To read our special report on the Indian market, click here.
* Facebook’s Vanessa Bakewell will be amongst a host of top music and tech execs appearing at the Music Week Tech Summit Together With O2 in London on Tuesday, October 8. For more information and to secure your place at the Summit, click here.
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