TikTok's owner takes on Spotify, tests new music streaming service
What's the story
TikTok's owner ByteDance has upped the ante against the likes of Spotify, Apple Music, and JioSaavn with its own music-streaming service - Resso. The platform has debuted in India and Indonesia (two of Asia's most populous countries) as part of a beta test and has already raked in more than 100,000 downloads, according to app analytics firm Sensor Tower. Here's all about it.
App
Resso's new take on music streaming
Available on Android and iOS, Resso offers a TikTok-like interface for streaming music. It packs content from a range of artists in different languages, including Hindi, English, and Punjabi. To note, the company has partnered with Times Music and T-Series to source Indian music and is also working to ink deals with labels like Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group Corp., and Sony Music.
Features
Added features to boost engagement
While Resso is still in beta, it boasts some key differentiating features to boost user engagement. This includes the ability to like individual songs, post comments that anyone can read, and add individual GIFs/videos to set the 'vibe' of the song. In addition to this, you also get the lyrics of each song on the main player of the app.
Details
Tap 'Me' to access liked, downloaded songs, and app settings
The 'Me' section of the app provides access to liked songs and artists, downloaded music, and recently played songs. Plus, there is a setting button in the upper right corner, which you can use to change the default configuration for downloading songs as well as other parameters like audio quality, privacy, and the interface of the player for the lock screen.
Price
Free version with ads, paid version at Rs. 119/month
The free version of the app comes with ads and restricted song skips but you can switch to the premium version by paying Rs. 119/month, which is the same as what Spotify charges but more than Apple Music and Gaana's monthly plan. The premium version of Resso provides unlimited downloads and song skips as well as the option to stream best audio quality.
Availability
No word on wider availability yet
On Apple and Google's app stores, the name of Resso's developer has been cited as 'Moon Video Inc.,' which seems to indicate that ByteDance is trying to keep the music service separate from its other businesses. The Chinese company has neither commented on the matter nor said when Resso would move out of beta and become widely available in other parts of the world.