Resso, TikTok parent ByteDance's music app, to not function in India from January 31
The music streaming service was launched in the country in March 2020.
Resso, TikTok parent ByteDance's music streaming service, will not be available in India from January 31. Speaking to Moneycontrol, a ByteDance spokesperson attributed the tech giant's decision to ‘local market conditions.’
“We can no longer continue to serve users of Resso in India. We have therefore decided to shut it down along with its associated operations on January 31. Users will be offered a refund of their remaining subscription fees,” the spokesperson said.
As per the report, the Beijing-based company's move comes after the music service was taken down by Apple and Google from their respective app stores in India, following an order by the government there. The two companies removed the app in the middle of December last year, it added.
ByteDance launched Resso in India, Indonesia, and Brazil, in March 2020. In June that year, however, the Indian government banned a number of Chinese apps (including TikTok) on grounds of national security; a few other apps from the company's native country too were prohibited subsequently.
Resso, however, managed to escape the bans, and, as of May 2023, had more than 250 million downloads in what is now the world's most populous nation, since its launch there.
ByteDance bringing TikTok Music to India?
ByteDance is not planning to bring TikTok Music to India, the report further said, adding that this is likely because TikTok Music has the same app publisher as TikTok. Resso, on the other hand, was published by Moon Video Inc., which is based in the British Virgin Islands.
The Chinese giant introduced TikTok Music in Brazil and Indonesia in July 2023, and followed this up by shutting down Resso in these two markets, on September 5. The service has since been expanded to countries like Australia, Mexico, and Singapore.
