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Draft:VK Music

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
  • Comment: The draft is much longer than it needs to be. Please focus on the most important information and trim routine updates. I am not sure about notability. Accesscrawl (talk) 19:49, 1 August 2026 (UTC)

VK Music
DeveloperVK
TypeMusic streaming service
Launch dateJuly 15, 2016; 10 years ago (2016-07-15)
Platforms
StatusActive
Websitemusic.vk.com

VK Music (Russian: VK Музыка, romanized: VK Muzyka, formerly known as BOOM and VKontakte Music) is a Russian freemium streaming service owned by VK, which combines the VKontakte music platform and a standalone mobile app for listening to music. The service allows users access to a library of songs, playlists (both official and user-created), personalized song selections (or mixes), audiobooks, podcasts, and other audio content.[1]

History

[edit]

Pre-merge (BOOM and VK music section)

[edit]

In February 2015, VK removed the music section from their VK app on App Store in response to official demands from Apple.[2] The company also faced court battles over copyright infringement from Sony Music Russia, Universal Music Russia, Warner Music UK, and Studio Soyuz [ru]. In July 2015, VK reached a settlement agreement with Sony Music.[3] In February 2016, they reached another settlement with Soyuz, agreeing to remove infringing material off their platform.[4] In March 2016, VK won in court against Universal Music[5] and Warner Music.[6]

On 22 April 2016, United Music Agency released an app called Music VKontakte on App Store, made in partnership with Mail.Ru Group for listening to legal music from the VK platform.[7]

In early November 2016, the name of the app was changed from Music VKontakte to BOOM, the logo was changed, and a rebranding was carried out. An updated version o the app was released on Google Play on 31 October 2016, and on the App Store on 3 November of the same year. It featured two types of subscription – free and paid. Users with a free subscription could download up to 1 hour of music compositions, but this tariff could only be used for a maximum of 3 months. When purchasing a paid subscription, the number of compositions was unlimited.[8]

On 28 April 2017, a paid subscription to music was introduced. Free listening to tracks remained available, but with ads.[9]

On 15 August 2018, the ability to search for an artist in a special card that contains albums and popular songs of the musician was added to the VK music section.

In 2018, the number of BOOM subscribers was 1.2 million.[10] Another 303 thousand people used trial subscriptions. According to vc.ru, representatives of VK were unable to answer the question of how many users use a paid subscription to Boom services in social networks, and how many received access to them through MegaFon tariffs, which include unlimited music on the social networks of Mail.ru Group.[11] According to the same year's results, the research organization J'Son & Partners Consulting named Boom and VK Music among the most popular services with 40% of the audience and 25.6% of revenue (the total number of Internet users in 2018 was 114,920,477[12], of which 87% use music services; revenue of streaming services amounted to $51 million).[13]

In July 2019, the number of Boom subscribers reached 2.5 million.[10]. According to a study published in 2019 on vc.ru, one listen on Boom brought independent musicians 10 kopecks, or one-tenth of a ruble.[14]

On 28 October 2019, the website's administration resumed the operation of the Audio Recordings section for older app versions. In version 4.8.3, ads appeared in the music section, but the ability to add music to the cache without the BOOM app was preserved.

In July 2020, the number of subscribers to BOOM and VK Music exceeded 3.5 million.[10] In the same month, a rating of the best services for listening to music for Android and iOS devices was published, compiled by Roskachestvo. BOOM was rated 4.65 points for Android devices, and 4.51 points for iOS.[15] According to the analytical company App Annie, in 2020 Boom took second place by user spending in their app rating.[16]

On 23 September 2020, VK introduced a unified subscription VK Combo, which included subscriptions to VK Music and BOOM, as well as discounts on taxis, food delivery and other services of partners.[17] Its initial cost was set at 149 rubles per month.[17]

On 30 August 2021, the VK music section was updated. The cost for the VK Combo subscription was set to 75 rubles per month for new users. The ability to download music inside the mobile application was added. However, users without a subscription could no longer listen to music in the background.

On 30 November 2021, the BOOM app and the VK music section were merged into the new VK Music service.[18][19]

Post-merge

[edit]

On 1 April 2022, a new algorithm appeared on VK Music, which compiled a personal music selection called "Listen to each other" for each listener, containing publicly available playlists from people and communities with similar musical tastes.[20]

In 2022, reacting to the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a number of foreign copyright holders ceased cooperation with VK Music, thereby depriving users of access to new foreign releases.[21][22]

On 23 January 2023, VK Music introduced a "Podcasts" section that brought together a variety of audio content, including exclusive shows.[23] On 25 September of the same year, audiobooks appeared on the streaming service.[24]

In October 2024, VK released what they described as VK Music's largest update in 17 years.[25] It featured a unified redesign of the mobile app and the VK music section, along with an improved recommendation system and mood-based filtering.[25] The subscription offerings were also expanded, adding a plan for two users, a discounted rate for students, and a shared plan for up to four people.[25]

On 24 September 2025, VK Music added a "For Children" section to the app, featuring exclusive audio content for children and their parents, as well as a safe search function that excludes inappropriate search results. Users with the VK Music subscription got access to various children's songs, naptime melodies, fairy tale audiobooks, and other child-friendly content on the platform.[26]

In October 2025, VK Music rolled out a major update that overhauled its recommendation algorithms. It included new genre-based sections and filters for algorithmic song compilations, as well as a smart song shuffle setting called "Mix on my music" that combines user collections with app recommendations.[27] The update also featured new artist pages that got integrated with VK's ticket purchasing service, meaning users could now see upcoming concerts and buy tickets directly in VK Music.[27] As a result, VK reported a 30% decrease in dislike ratings across the platform, and a 35% increase in users adding recommended music from the algorithmic mixes to their playlists.[28]

In June 2026, VK Music got removed from App Store as part of a larger removal of all VK-owned apps from the platform.[29] In a comment , Apple explained their decision as "following [economic] sanctions", but did not specify which ones exactly led to the apps' removal.[30] Following EU's decision to sanction VK for their involvement in developing MAX on 13 July of the same year,[31] Google Play removed all VK apps including VK Music on 16 July 2026.[32]

Censorship

[edit]

Following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, VK Music and other VK services complied with government censorship requests, including blocking content deemed critical of the state or supportive of Ukraine.

In October 2024, Russian streaming services, including VK Music, started marking artists named "foreign agents" under Russia's foreign agent laws as such in the app.[33] Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Information Policy Anton Gorelkin wrote in his Telegram channel, announcing the decision:[33]

Foreign agents will no longer be able to hide their status from users of music services. And thanks to the [new] labeling, each user will make an informed decision whether they need to support such artists.

In March 2025, VK Music blocked access to multiple anti-war songs made by Noize MC in response to a legal demand from Roskomnadzor.[34] In October 2025, VK Music blocked the song "Povesitsa" by Zemfira based on similar demands, which was released back in 2005 as part of her album Vendetta and featured suicidal themes.[35]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "VK / Our projects — Media and entertainment". vk.company. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  2. ^ Партнер Mail.Ru Group сделал приложение с легальной музыкой из «ВКонтакте» [Mail.Ru Group's partner has created an app with legal music from VKontakte]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  3. ^ "«В контакте» подписала мировое соглашение с первым из трех музыкальных мейджоров – Sony Music" [VKontakte signed a settlement agreement with the first of three music majors – Sony Music]. Vedomosti (in Russian). 28 July 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  4. ^ "«ВКонтакте» заключила «Союз»" [VKontakte forms a union with Soyuz]. Kommersant (in Russian). 17 February 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  5. ^ "«ВКонтакте» выиграла суд у Universal Music" [VKontakte won in court against Universal Music]. RBC (in Russian). Archived from the original on 9 November 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  6. ^ "«ВКонтакте» выиграла суд у Warner Music" [VKontakte won in court against Warner Music]. RBC (in Russian). Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  7. ^ "У «В контакте» появилось первое приложение с легальной музыкой" [VKontakte has launched its first app with legal music]. Vedomosti (in Russian). 26 April 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  8. ^ Darya Khokhlova (6 November 2016). Приложение «Музыка ВКонтакте» провело ребрендинг, сменило название на Boom и ввело платные тарифы [The VKontakte Music app has rebranded, changed its name to Boom, and introduced paid plans]. vc.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  9. ^ «ВКонтакте» и «Одноклассники» введут платную подписку на музыку [VKontakte and Odnoklassniki will introduce paid music subscriptions]. Izvestia (in Russian). 28 April 2017. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  10. ^ a b c Evgeniy Delyukin (15 July 2020). Где слушают музыку в России и есть ли место Spotify: главное о российском рынке и его игроках [Where do people listen to music in Russia and is there a place for Spotify? Key points about the Russian market and its players]. vc.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  11. ^ Andrey Frolov (18 June 2018). Музыкальный сервис Boom для «ВКонтакте» и «Одноклассников» впервые отчитался о числе платящих подписчиков [Boom, the music service for VKontakte and Odnoklassniki, reported its number of paying subscribers for the first time]. vc.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  12. ^ "Central Asia :: Russia — The World Factbook - Central Intelligence Agency". www.cia.gov. Archived from the original on 29 October 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  13. ^ Музыкальная индустрия [Music industry]. PwC (in Russian). 2018. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  14. ^ Pavel Prokofiev (5 December 2019). Сколько приносят независимым музыкантам прослушивания на «Яндекс.Музыке», Apple Music и других стриминговых сервисах [How much independent musicians earn from plays on Yandex.Music, Apple Music, and other streaming services]. vc.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  15. ^ Обновлен рейтинг лучших приложений для прослушивания музыки в России [Updated ranking of the best music listening apps in Russia]. Ferra.ru (in Russian). 14 July 2020. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  16. ^ Raya Hachatryan (13 January 2021). «ВКонтакте», Boom и ivi: App Annie рассказала, в каких приложениях россияне потратили больше всего денег в 2020 году [VKontakte, Boom, and ivi: App Annie revealed which apps Russians spent the most money on in 2020]. vc.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  17. ^ a b ВКонтакте представила подписку VK Combo [VKontakte introduced the VK Combo subscription]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 23 September 2020. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 30 July 2026.
  18. ^ "ВКонтакте" запустила мобильное приложение "VK Музыка" [VKontakte launched the VK Music mobile app]. RIA Novosti (in Russian). 30 November 2021. Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  19. ^ Evgeniya Evseeva (30 November 2021). VK обновила Boom: теперь сервис называется «VK Музыка» и объединяет все музыкальные продукты группы [VK has updated Boom: the service is now called "VK Music" and unites all of the group's music products]. vc.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 November 2021. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  20. ^ Ksenia Murasheva (1 April 2022). В VK Музыке стало проще найти песни по вкусу [It's now easier to find songs to your taste on VK Music] (in Russian). Ferra.ru. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  21. ^ На «Яндекс.Музыке» и во «ВКонтакте» недоступна новая иностранная музыка [New foreign music unavailable on Yandex.Music and VKontakte]. fontanka.ru – news of Saint Petersburg (in Russian). 14 March 2022. Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  22. ^ Yevgenia Stogova (14 March 2022). «Яндекс.Музыка» и VK столкнулись с проблемами с западными новинками [Yandex.Music and VK face problems with new Western releases]. RBC (in Russian). Archived from the original on 4 September 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  23. ^ В «VK Музыке» появился раздел «Подкасты» [New "Podcasts" section appeared in VK Music]. BURO. (in Russian). 23 January 2023. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  24. ^ «VK Музыка» запустила раздел с аудиокнигами [VK Music launches audiobook section]. BURO. (in Russian). 25 September 2023. Archived from the original on 25 June 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  25. ^ a b c VK Музыка выпустила крупнейшее обновление в истории сервиса [VK Music released its biggest update in the service's history]. vk.company (in Russian). 7 October 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  26. ^ "VK / VK Music launches new section for children". vk.company. 24 September 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  27. ^ a b VK Музыка кратно увеличила прослушивания треков из рекомендаций и представила новые возможности для артистов и их слушателей [VK Music dramatically increased the number of plays for recommended tracks and introduced new opportunities for artists and their listeners]. vk.company (in Russian). 13 October 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  28. ^ «VK Музыка» улучшила систему рекомендаций [VK Music improved its recommendations system]. Snob.ru (in Russian). 2 April 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  29. ^ Из App Store пропали «Дзен», VK, VK Video, VK Music — РБК [VK, Dzen and Odnoklassniki apps disappeared from App Store]. RBC (in Russian). Archived from the original on 25 June 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  30. ^ Apple удалила мессенджер «Макс» из App Store. В компании объяснили это соблюдением санкций [Apple removed the Max messenger from the App Store. The company cited sanctions compliance as the reason]. BBC News Russian (in Russian). 5 June 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  31. ^ Times, The Moscow (13 July 2026). "EU Sanctions VK for Developing Messenger App Max". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  32. ^ Приложения VK и Мах исчезли из Google Play [VK and Max apps have disappeared from Google Play]. Interfax.ru (in Russian). 16 July 2026. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  33. ^ a b "Российские стриминги начали маркировать артистов, объявленных «иноагентами»" [Russian streaming services began to label artists declared "foreign agents"]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  34. ^ "Музыкальные сервисы ограничили доступ к трекам Noize MC" [Music services have limited access to tracks by Noize MC]. RBC (in Russian). Archived from the original on 30 October 2025. Retrieved 31 July 2026.
  35. ^ "В России по требованию Роскомнадзора заблокировали песню Земфиры «Повесица»" [Zemfira's song "Povesitsa" was blocked in Russia at the request of Roskomnadzor]. Meduza (in Russian). Retrieved 31 July 2026.
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