LINE Music to suspend streaming services in Taiwan from August

Music streaming platform LINE Music announced Wednesday that it will suspend its streaming service in Taiwan starting Aug. 1 because of what it called a “service transition.”

The LINE Music platform, launched in July 2019, will still offer personalized ringtone, background music, and live concerts for a fee for its users, the company said.

Billing for monthly music streaming subscription plans will stop by June 25, and users can continue to access the service until July 31, said LINE Music, which is operated by LINE Corporation.

Single-time users whose purchase plans extended beyond July 31 will receive refunds based on the number of days that will be invalidated, it said.

No explanation was given for the move other than to characterize it as a “service transition,” without elaborating.

However, LINE had been facing strong competition from other music platforms, such as Spotify, KKBOX and Apple Music, and it did not attract as many subscribers as expected, according to a local media analysis.

Taiwan is among the largest markets for LINE, the mobile messaging and communication services supplier, along with Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel