South Korean music platforms continued to lose users after Google introduced YouTube Premium Lite on Jan. 30. However the cheaper plan has so far done little to weaken YouTube Music’s lead.

IGAWorks’ Mobile Index data show YouTube Music had 8.54 million monthly active users in April 2026. This figure nearly unchanged from 8.55 million in December 2025. Melon, a South Korean music streaming platform run by Kakao Entertainment, fell to 7.03 million users from 7.12 million over the same period.

Lite followed a South Korea Fair Trade Commission probe. The antitrust agency investigated whether Google’s bundling of YouTube Music with YouTube Premium restricted consumer choice. The case was later suspended under a consent decision tied to corrective measures.

🔗 Source: Chosun Daily