Saavn launches Saavn English, to stream over 250,000 songs for free

The library will include new releases and catalog classics by Sony Music artists, including AC/DC, Aerosmith, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Billy Joel, Bob Dylan, Carrie Underwood, Chris Brown, Britney Spears, INXS, Jimmy Hendrix, Johnny Cash, Justin Timberlake, Kings of Leon, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Miguel, Oasis, Pink Floyd, and Usher; and by Universal Music Group artists, including Bob Marley, Bryan Adams, Celine Dion, David Guetta, Jennifer Lopez, and Kanye West.

The company also plans to launch Saavn English on mobile platforms such as iOS, Android, and Java/J2ME (Feature phones) in the not so distant future.

With the help of this launch, Saavn will be competing with international digital music services, which are yet to kick-start their operations in India. On the Indian turf, it competes with the likes of gaana.com andraaga.com. While gaana.com is already offering a robust catalog of Western music, raaga.com has yet to foray into this segment.

Speaking on the launch, Paramdeep Singh, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Saavn, says "As the nation with the second-largest population of English-speakers in the world (just over 125 million people), India is a prime market for Western music. At Saavn, our aim has always been to provide a wide genre of music to our users, and the introduction of Saavn English is a testament to our success in providing Saavn's users with complete music entertainment".

For its current catalog of Indian language songs, Saavn has music licensing deals with over 300 South Asian record labels, and has 1 million-plus tracks under license.