Applications
Orange partners with record labels to extend its music portfolio, offer unlimited music videos
MUMBAI: To coincide with the Midem music trade show, mobile firm Orange is bringing out a new unlimited subscription plan for video-on-demand, available on Orange TV in France. A catalogue of music programmes will be on offer for 4.99 euros a month with more than 300 long clips like concerts, documentaries, TV programmes, etc and 2,000 video clips. |
The new offer is the latest addition to the extensive Orange music portfolio which covers nine countries and allows customers to access an international catalogue of 1 million titles following agreements with both major international and independent record labels. The new offer gives Orange TV subscribers in France unlimited use of a wide choice of music content. They can enjoy on-demand access to the entire catalogue of music programmes with leading artists including Robbie Williams, Kylie Minogue, Michael Jackson, Beyonce and Shakira. |
Subscribers can select a title from more than 300 longer clips (concerts, documentaries, TV programmes, etc.) and 2,000 video clips from any musical genre. These titles are made available through partnerships with: * Sony BMG * EMI Music * I-Concerts * Eagle Rock The forthcoming arrival of two new partners, Warner Music and Universal Music, will further enhance the offering.
This latest addition to Orange’s impressive line-up of music services is available to Orange mobile customers in nine countries (Belgium, France, Poland, Portugal, Rumania, Spain, Slovakia, Switzerland and the UK) and internet customers in three countries (France, Spain, and the UK): Orange customers can access music through the following services: * Orange Music Store: gives access to an international catalogue of 1million titles, * Orange Music Player: a multimedia player for downloading music or videos; * Orange Music Cast: personalised mobile and internet radio. Launched in May 2006, Orange Music Cast is a mobile application that gives customers (with a compatible phone), access to a package of theme-based radio stations, which users can adapt to their own musical tastes (Urban, Pop/Rock, Latin, Jazz,…) as well as access their own favourite radio stations. Orange Music Cast is available both in a subscription service (EUR9.99) or in a 24 hour service (EUR2) ; * Live Radio: This the firm says is the first independent wifi radio, lets users listen to thousands of radio stations from around the world and on the web, as well as podcasts and audio books, even without turning on your computer; * SMS Jukebox, a new service which is being premiered at the Wifi Café Orange during Midem 2007. A playlist of songs is presented in a menu with a code for each one. All customers have to do is select a song and send the corresponding code by SMS. They then receive a message specifying the waiting time before the song is played… in the restaurant or cafe. Orange is looking to reinvent the jukebox, with a new mobile dimension. |
Applications
With 57 per cent single new users, Ashley Madison rebrands as discreet dating platform
Platform says majority of new members now identify as single
INDIA: Ashley Madison is shedding the “married-dating” label that defined it for two decades, repositioning itself as a platform for discreet dating in what it calls the post-social media age.
The rebrand, unveiled in India on 27 February, 2026, marks a structural shift in business model and identity. Once synonymous with married dating, the company now describes itself as the “premier destination for discreet dating” under a new tagline: Where Desire Meets Discretion.
The pivot is data-driven. Internal figures show that 57 per cent of global sign-ups between 1 January and 31 December, 2025 identified as single: a notable departure from the platform’s married core. The company argues that its community has already evolved beyond its original positioning.
“In an age where our lives have been constantly put on public display, privacy has become the new luxury,” said Ashley Madison chief strategy officer Paul Keable. He framed the platform’s offering as “ethical discretion” for singles, separated, divorced and non-monogamous users seeking private connections.
The shift also taps into wider digital fatigue. A global survey conducted by YouGov for Ashley Madison, covering 13,071 adults across Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the US, found mounting discomfort with hyper-public online lives.
Among dating app users, 30 per cent cited constant swiping and messaging as a source of fatigue, while 24 per cent pointed to pressure to curate public-facing profiles and early personal disclosure. Some 27 per cent said fears of screenshots or information being shared contributed to exhaustion; an equal share cited unwanted attention.
The retreat from oversharing appears broader. According to the survey, 46 per cent of adults actively try to keep most aspects of their life private online. Only 8 per cent feel comfortable sharing most aspects publicly, while 35 per cent say they are becoming more selective about what they disclose.
Ashley Madison is betting that this cultural recalibration towards controlled visibility can be monetised. By doubling down on privacy infrastructure and reframing itself around discretion rather than infidelity, the company is attempting to convert reputational baggage into a premium proposition.
