Yonder Music in exclusive deal with XL Axiata in Indonesia

• Music-streaming partnership is targeting 1.2mil XL users
• Yonder Music to expand its service to 16 countries by end-2016

NEW York-based music streaming service company Yonder Music has announced an exclusive partnership with XL Axiata in Indonesia, nearly six months after announcing a similar pact with XL’s sister company Celcom Axiata in Malaysia.
 
Yonder Music chief executive officer Adam Kidron said his company’s streaming service would help combat music piracy in the republic, which houses 4% of the world’s population but which contributes only 0.4% to music industry revenue globally.
 
“Our service targets people who cannot afford streaming services, so piracy becomes the option,” he told a press conference in Jakarta on May 23.
 
According to Kidron, the pact allows XL Axiata users to stream and automatically download advertisement-free music for free for a month when they register for an Internet package with the Indonesian mobile operator.
 
XL Axiata has 42.5 million subscribers, but the two companies are targeting 1.2 million users, he added.
 
To hit this target, Yonder Music will deploy the same strategy it did in Malaysia, by harnessing social media and recruiting local music labels and artistes to the platform, according to Kidron (pic).
 
Meanwhile, he said Yonder Music will available in 16 countries by the end of 2016 and another 60 countries by the end of 2017.
 
“We are going to invest US$15 million to offer the service worldwide,” he told Digital News Asia (DNA) on the sidelines of the press conference.
 
The exclusive partnership with XL Axiata will span two years. Kidron said rather than collaborate with another telco, Yonder Music will look to partnerships with companies in other industries, such as banks.
 
Meanwhile, the month-free music streaming for XL Axiata customers begins June 30.
 
After the free promotion period is over, users can subscribe to a data package starting from Rp35,000 (US$2.67) to Rp100,000 (US$7.63) per month.
 
“For us, this partnership is more about enhancing our existing users’ experience rather than acquiring new subscribers,” said XL Axiata chief executive officer Dian Siswarini.
 
Related Stories:
 
Celcom Axiata to bring Yonder Music service to Malaysia
 
After blocking Netflix, Indonesia’s Telkom in pact with iflix
 
Spotify comes to Malaysia … and about time too!
 
 
For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Like us on Facebook.