Tanushree Basuroy
Research expert covering India
In the land of a billion screens, streaming one's entertainment has become second nature to Indian netizens. Be it at home or on the move, on the flatscreen or on a handheld device, a wide array of media is being consumed constantly thanks to the steadily growing digital media sector. Moreover, the digital segment accounts for the second largest share of India’s media and entertainment industry and is expected to surpass the television sector in the near future.
Simultaneously, the advent of audio OTT platforms followed a similar trajectory although the market is still in its nascent stages. Music streaming giant, Spotify, charts India as one of its leading markets given the potential for an increase in subscribers. However, the app's popularity declined upon imposing new restrictions on free account users in India. On the other hand, Indian listeners have no dearth of choice, being offered their beloved tunes on local alternatives such as Gaana, Wynk, and JioSaavn.
Apart from music, Indian users have also discovered a new form of online entertainment – podcasts. While still a niche segment of the Indian audio market, marketers see immense potential in the years to come, with Indian podcasters developing creative ways to attract audiences. One such instance was the fashioning of podcasts as episodic storytelling which performed well with Indian listeners.
Additionally, YouTube continues to be India’s one-stop-shop for streaming and watching content that ranges from live sports to music videos to DIY tutorials free of charge. In the past few years, SVOD platforms recorded a faster growth in revenue as compared to AVOD services. Despite Netflix receiving backlash for its move to crackdown on password sharing, hopes remain high for SVOD subscriptions to continue increasing.
Streaming in India: where video is king
Online video entertainment and video-on-demand services are among the primary kinds of digital media to have captured the imagination of Indian audiences. With a large chunk of the population subscribed to at least one video streaming service, forecasts for the OTT video market look promising. Mainstream subscription video-on-demand services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video have slowly penetrated the Indian market, where competition is rife with domestic contenders such as Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, SonyLIV and JioCinema.Simultaneously, the advent of audio OTT platforms followed a similar trajectory although the market is still in its nascent stages. Music streaming giant, Spotify, charts India as one of its leading markets given the potential for an increase in subscribers. However, the app's popularity declined upon imposing new restrictions on free account users in India. On the other hand, Indian listeners have no dearth of choice, being offered their beloved tunes on local alternatives such as Gaana, Wynk, and JioSaavn.
Apart from music, Indian users have also discovered a new form of online entertainment – podcasts. While still a niche segment of the Indian audio market, marketers see immense potential in the years to come, with Indian podcasters developing creative ways to attract audiences. One such instance was the fashioning of podcasts as episodic storytelling which performed well with Indian listeners.
Additionally, YouTube continues to be India’s one-stop-shop for streaming and watching content that ranges from live sports to music videos to DIY tutorials free of charge. In the past few years, SVOD platforms recorded a faster growth in revenue as compared to AVOD services. Despite Netflix receiving backlash for its move to crackdown on password sharing, hopes remain high for SVOD subscriptions to continue increasing.
The emergence of livestreaming
As a result of the pandemic-induced lockdowns in India, both work and entertainment switched to the digital plane. Webinars and virtual events presented an alternative to live events such as conferences and concerts. Concurrently, the nationwide penetration of smartphones, mobile internet, and a robust gaming industry have paved the way for a trend similar to that in the West. With casual gaming and eSports on the rise, Indian gamers have taken to platforms such as YouTube, Loco, and Rooter to livestream their gaming sessions. Prominent gaming content creators have witnessed an overwhelming rate of viewership on YouTube, a key factor being the production of such content in the local language.
