Facebook has signed a major licensing agreement with Tips Music, one of Bollywood's prominent record labels, allowing its 350 million Indian users and Instagram's 120 million Indian users to add Tips tracks to their posts and stories.

The deal marks a significant expansion of Facebook's music offerings in India, with Tips Music's extensive catalog that has generated nearly 17 billion views and attracted 36 million subscribers on YouTube.

Manish Chopra, Facebook India Director and Head of Partnerships, emphasized that music will play a crucial role in their platform's growth strategy, particularly focusing on bringing '90s content to their users.

The agreement has had a positive impact on Tips Industries' market performance, with stock prices increasing by 12.5% to $4.42 (₹325.25) per share, representing a more than threefold increase since early 2020.

This partnership is part of Facebook's broader music-focused expansion in India, including:

• Launch of licensed music videos
• Securing major label licenses for Facebook Gaming
• Acquiring a 9.99% stake in Reliance Jio for $5.7 billion
• Instagram's redesign featuring "Reels" as a TikTok alternative

The move comes at a strategic time, following India's ban on TikTok (which had 200 million monthly active users) and amid increasing competition in India's digital entertainment space. Other recent developments in India's music market include Spotify's 100,000-track licensing deal with Saregama and Warner Music Group's establishment of their Mumbai headquarters.

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