Bytedance Makes Resso Music Streaming Service Paid

APPS – Currently offering a free version with a subscription option, Resso presents itself as a social network dedicated to music. Bytedance, which also owns TikTok, has begun informing users of this change through a notification in the app and on the website.

Starting from May 11, 2023, Resso, the music streaming service owned by Bytedance, will become entirely paid. This image was generated by an artificial intelligence for illustration purposes. © Nikolas1007 / Midjourney

Tech

Published on May 07, 2023 – 08:20 GMT +02:00

Resso Premium Benefits

Resso Premium will offer a monthly ad-free subscription, providing superior sound quality and the ability to download tracks for offline listening. The service will also include song lyrics, duo playlist playback, and existing interaction features such as likes, comments, and suggestions.

The cheapest offer will cost 16.90 BRL in Brazil, which is less than Spotify (19.90 BRL per month) and Apple Music (21.90 BRL per month). However, the platform does not offer as many features as its popular competitors, particularly regarding the available catalog, given that Sony removed all its artists from Resso in 2022.

Reasoning and Outlook

The developers justify this decision by promising to improve the social music streaming experience. Ole Obermann, Global Head of Music at Bytedance, stated that improvements would be made to the service to expand the user base and increase benefits for artists.

“Transforming Resso into an exclusively premium service will enhance the user experience for music lovers while increasing opportunities for copyright holders and artists,” he said in a statement.

Resso is currently available only in Brazil, India, and Indonesia. There were rumors that Bytedance might expand the service to the United States and Europe under the name TikTok Music, but this has not materialized. The platform has recorded over 250 million downloads in total, a modest figure compared to the three major markets where it is present.

The streaming service experienced a surge in popularity in 2021 but seems to have declined over the past year, without introducing significant innovations. In the first quarter of 2023, downloads stagnated at around 13.5 million, a decrease of 47% compared to the previous year. Brazil accounts for 73% of paid subscriptions, far ahead of the Indian market, which is the largest in terms of active users.

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