India’s Paid Music Subscribers Could Hit 30 Million by 2028, EY-IMI Report Finds
India‘s paid music streaming subscriber base could grow to between 28 million and 30 million by 2028, up from an estimated 14 million as of December 2025,...
Key points
- India‘s paid music streaming subscriber base could grow to between 28 million and 30 million by 2028, up from an estimated 14 million as of December 2025, according to the EY and the Indian Music Industry (IMI) “How India Listens, Streams and Pays for Music” report, released Friday in Mumbai.
- The report notes that India’s 14 million paid subscribers trail Brazil’s more than 30 million and the United States’ 106 million, and that China – whose music industry ranked behind India’s as recently as 2015 – has built a paid subscriber base of more than 171 million, propelling it to the No.
- “Music remains one of India’s most consumed forms of digital entertainment,” Pherwani said.
- “The report highlights an opportunity for the industry to further strengthen subscription adoption through improved consumer awareness, differentiated offerings and innovation that responds to evolving listener preferences.” Composer, singer and performer Badshah, who also contributed a foreword, framed the stakes in cultural terms, writing that “the future of music will be shaped not just by how widely it is heard, but by how deeply it is valued.” The report’s psychometric research, conducted by MindLink, splits smartphone owners into three cohorts: Payers, who hold active paid subscriptions; Fence-sitters, who use free versions but would pay if they had no other choice; and Never-payers, who rely on YouTube and do not use paid music apps.
What happened
India‘s paid music streaming subscriber base could grow to between 28 million and 30 million by 2028, up from an estimated 14 million as of December 2025, according to the EY and the Indian Music Industry (IMI) “How India Listens, Streams and Pays for Music” report, released Friday in Mumbai. The report notes that India’s 14 million paid subscribers trail Brazil’s more than 30 million and the United States’ 106 million, and that China – whose music industry ranked behind India’s as recently as 2015 – has built a paid subscriber base of more than 171 million, propelling it to the No. “Music remains one of India’s most consumed forms of digital entertainment,” Pherwani said. “The report highlights an opportunity for the industry to further strengthen subscription adoption through improved consumer awareness, differentiated offerings and innovation that responds to evolving listener preferences.” Composer, singer and performer Badshah, who also contributed a foreword, framed the stakes in cultural terms, writing that “the future of music will be shaped not just by how widely it is heard, but by how deeply it is valued.” The report’s psychometric research, conducted by MindLink,...
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