NEWS

Following Tuned Global's recent announcement with MENA leading telco e&, our Managing Director and VP Head of Marketing joined TelecomTalk for a deep dive on what it really takes to build a successful telco-led music platform. The conversation explored the shift from short-term bundling to long-term ownership, and why retention and local relevance matter as much as scale. Watch the full interview.

Following the recent announcement of Tuned Global’s renewed partnership with e&’s music service, Twist, Tuned Global Managing Director, Con Raso, and VP Head of Marketing, Virginie Chelles, joined TelecomTalk for a live industry discussion on the evolving role of telecom operators in music streaming.

The conversation explored how telcos are moving beyond short-term third-party bundles to build branded, data-driven music platforms that support long-term engagement, differentiation, and monetisation. Drawing on Tuned Global’s experience powering music services across telecom, aviation, gaming, health, and media, the interview highlighted why ownership, local relevance, and lifecycle engagement are becoming critical success factors.

Music streaming infrastructure goes far beyond the app

During the discussion, Con Raso explained that while music streaming is now ubiquitous, the infrastructure behind it remains complex, spanning licensing, rights management, discovery, recommendation, billing, and large-scale distribution. Tuned Global’s role is to provide this full-stack foundation, enabling mobile operators to launch and scale compliant music services quickly while avoiding the cost and risk of building in-house.

Reflecting on Tuned Global’s journey, Raso highlighted how operating its own direct-to-consumer service in Southeast Asia fundamentally shaped the company’s DNA. That experience shifted Tuned Global from being purely a technology provider to deeply understanding user acquisition, retention, and daily listening behaviour — insights that now inform how the company supports its B2B partners.

Watch the full TelecomTalk interview below to hear Tuned Global’s perspective on how telcos can turn music into a long-term engagement and growth engine.

Why bundling third-party apps limits long-term value

A recurring theme of the interview was the limitation of traditional bundling strategies. While offering free access to global streaming platforms can drive short-term uptake, both speakers noted that this approach often results in lost brand connection and limited customer insight. In contrast, owning or co-creating the music experience allows telcos to retain first-party data, connect streaming behaviour with business intelligence, and build what Tuned Global describes as a data flywheel to inform marketing, product, and commercial decisions.

Local relevance as a competitive advantage

Virginie Chelles emphasised the importance of local relevance in driving sustained engagement, particularly outside Western markets. From language-first search and discovery to surfacing local catalogues and supporting regional artists, localisation was highlighted as a key differentiator for telco-led services. Examples discussed included Arabic and romanised search, market-specific editorial strategies, and culturally adapted user journeys.

AI, personalisation, and new monetisation models

The interview also touched on emerging opportunities in monetisation and personalisation. Con Raso outlined how AI-driven discovery, programmatic radio, and hyper-targeted audio advertising are opening new revenue models for operators, while maintaining a better user experience. By integrating these capabilities directly into the platform, telcos can experiment with advertising, subscription, and broader lifestyle bundling strategies without compromising compliance or performance.

The session concluded with practical guidance for operators considering launching a branded music service, including the importance of leveraging specialist partners, prioritising marketing and retention over infrastructure build, and defining clear success metrics from the outset.

Looking at building a music streaming service for telcos?  Contact our team to learn how Tuned Global can support you with scalable infrastructure and compliant music solutions.