Saavn launches Saavn Pro premium music service on Android

Saavn, the online music streaming service, has rolled out a paid subscription option, dubbed as Saavn Pro for its Android app. The updated app is now available for download from the Play Store.

The Saavn Pro service makes listening to online music ad-free and also allows users to make music available offline, which the company believes would be great for regions where data connectivity is spotty.

The service offers a 30-day free trial, after which users can subscribe to Saavn Pro for Rs. 220 per month directly through their Google account. The app renews automatically offering users 3GB of offline music storage on up to 5 devices. The company is also offering a Lite version especially for Indian consumers which is available for Rs. 110 per month, renewing automatically for 1GB of music storage with just one device.

The updated Saavn app for Android includes Saavn Pro service integration offering features like offline downloads, ad-free listening, sync over cellular data where users can opt to use Wi-Fi or a cellular data connection to cache music for offline listening and a pro-audio feature that gives users access to high quality music up to 320 kbps, which will be added to the app in the coming weeks.

Rishi Malhotra, president and co-founder of Saavn said, "Saavn Pro on Android is big for Saavn and Google, and marks the start of premium Android apps reaching scale in India. At the end of the day, the music labels are the biggest winners - we're recapturing lost revenue in a heavily-pirated market. Global consumers are telling us they value an ad-free music listening experience, and we are delivering the best mobile experience today."

Saavn had earlier launched the Saavn Pro service for users of its iOS app a few months back.

Another music streaming service, Gaana.com had also introduced a premium subscription based version of its service, Gaana+ to the Android platform, a few months back. The Gaana+ service comes with a 15 day free trial after which users need to pay a monthly subscription fee of $2.99 (or Rs. 170.13) if located in India or $3.99 if outside India.