VKontakte users will have to pay for music

The Russian social network "VKontakte" restarted the musical service, which introduces a paid subscription to the music.

The company notes that the subscription is not mandatory: the music can be listened to free of charge, but with audioraclam, Interfax reports. Moreover, if earlier the advertising was only in a web version, now it will appear on mobile applications.

The subscription will work on the desktop, in applications for iOS and Android and in the Boom partner application. By paying for the subscription, VKontakte users will be able to pump music in the cache and listen to it offline (earlier this functions were available on Android for free).

“Subscription costs 149 rubles a month and makes it possible to listen to music without advertising and in offline mode through the Boom application,” the company said, explaining that the ban on free offline listening to music is the requirement of copyright holders.

In the summer of 2016, Mail.ru Group , which owns VKontakte, and the United Media Agency (UMA) signed partnership agreements with international copyright holders of the Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment . In October, an agreement was signed with (UMA) and the Merlin Network Digital Rights Agency for access to licensed musical and video content of Merlin agency members.