What does it take for an international track to crack the Indian charts? ft. Anand SrinivasanAs Sabrina Carpenter's "Espresso" rises into the top 40 this week, marking the highest position for an international English-language track so far this year, we get special guest, Anand Srinivasan, the vice president and business head of international repertoire at Universal Music India, to share how the song has broken through in India. Among other insights, Anand explains why the charts don't always give the real picture of the popularity of international music here. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on June 14, 2024.Jun 20, 202429:39Why are films' OTT releases helping their songs make the charts?Until recently, a film song would break through on the charts either ahead of or around its parent movie's release in cinemas. These days, like this week's chart topper, tracks are entering and reaching new peaks soon after the films premiere on video streaming services. In this episode, we discuss why this is happening, and whether it's something we're increasingly going to see in the future. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on May 31, 2024.Jun 04, 202422:29How did Malayalam become Indian music's fastest-growing language?Since Spotify launched in India at the end of February 2019, the listenership of music in Malayalam has grown a whopping 5,300% globally. With tracks from the blockbuster 'Aavesham' dotting the charts, we examine the hows and whys behind Malayalam music's phenomenal rise. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on May 17, 2024.May 21, 202431:23How do I-Pop labels devise their music streaming strategies?In a country with over half a dozen international and local music streaming services, marketing a track requires a multi-pronged approach On this week's episode, we speak to the founder of Artiste First, the label behind surprise hit "Ishq" by Faheem Abdullah and Rauhan Malik, to find out how they tailor their strategy for each DSP in order to maximise traction. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on May 3, 2024.May 07, 202433:48How did Taylor Swift do what no international act has done this year? In a testament to her current status as the biggest pop star in the world, Taylor Swift's new single "Fortnight" has debuted higher than any other international track has in India so far this year. On this week's episode, we talk about the superfandom she enjoys on our shores, how she has managed to garner such a large following, and which other foreign acts come close to matching it. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on April 26, 2024.Apr 30, 202434:14Why hasn’t Bollywood been able to reinvent itself?Bollywood music is back and sitting comfortably in its old spot at the top of the charts. But this year's Hindi film hits exhibit that little has changed in terms of its sound. The segment remains dominated by remixes of recent pop hits, recreations of older smashes, "inspired" tunes and deja vu-evoking power ballads. In this episode, we examine why the film industry is so averse to taking risks, and how true evolution is always the result of constant innovation. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated March 28, 2024.Apr 02, 202433:18How are album marketing strategies changing in the age of the single? Even in this singles era, albums remain important for both artists and labels. To grab the attention full-length releases need, musicians and their teams have been devising innovative marketing strategies. In this episode, we discuss some recent campaigns, the best practices for upcoming acts and the pros and cons of investing in an album. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated March 14, 2024.Mar 19, 202431:33What will it take for 'I-Pop' to pop?With the Indian music industry moving to adopt the term 'I-Pop' in place of 'non-film' to denote a certain kind of Indian popular music, we look at how such new genre names come to be and what it will take for the term to stick. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated March 7, 2024.Mar 12, 202435:11Where are the Women on India's Charts?The past year has been a great one for women on the US and UK charts and at award shows such as the Grammy where they took home all of the big four trophies. On India's charts, however, hits by solo female acts are conspicuous by their absence. In this episode, we look at how our surveys compare to those in the west, why there's such a huge gender imbalance, and what it will take to have more women in the national top ten. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on February 9, 2024.Feb 13, 202434:22What makes a good sync deal?This week's highest new entry - a hit 2022 track by the independent pop music duo Mitraz that they've reworked for an upcoming Bollywood film - inspired us to sink our teeth into the sync business. We get our guest, Alick Sethi, the founder of music supervision agency Retox Music, to take us through the different types of sync opportunities available to artists today, what they should look out for, who should they approach to land such deals and how to ensure you price your music right. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on February 2, 2024. ------ Learn more about Retox Music :https://www.retox-music.comFeb 06, 202450:35[Revisit] Decoding Anuv Jain's Streaming SuccessAnuv Jain’s "Husn" is officially at #1 on Spotify's daily Top Songs India chart, making it his first release to reach the pole position and a landmark moment for independent music (though the single is distributed through Universal Music). We couldn’t think of a better time to revisit the conversation with Aayushmaan Sinha, the founder of Represent, which manages Anuv, to break down the singer/songwriter’s streaming success. Through a combination of community building and a sharp focus on measuring metrics that matter in the long run, this analysis of Anuv’s success is a masterclass in how artists can build a fandom.Feb 05, 202430:41Does the music industry need fixing?In this week's episode, we step away from our usual programming to discuss a topic that isn't directly related to but is intrinsically connected to the charts - the state of the music industry, both worldwide and within India. We highlight data from two recently released publications, Luminate's Year-End Music Report for 2023, which has some eye-popping figures, and EY India's The Music Creator Economy, which includes the results of a survey of 500 musicians. They tell us that listeners are streaming more music than ever before, and also that the average artist might be making less money from their releases than ever before. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on January 12, 2024. PS: Keep you pen and paper/note taking app handy. There will be a LOT of data.Jan 16, 202435:26Five Predictions for 2024On our first episode of the new year, we gaze into our metaphorical crystal balls to make five predictions for the upcoming months, including which independent artist we think could have a King-sized career; whether the resurgence of Bollywood music will be even stronger; and what Indian regional languages will garner more listenership. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on January 5, 2024.Our favorite music festival Control ALT Delete is back and taking place this weekend! You can 'pay what you want' and attend the festival (but we hope that you pay generously, all profits are split equally amongst the performing artists). Contribute here: https://www.skillboxes.com/events/control-alt-deleteJan 09, 202433:34Year-End Special: The Trends of 2023We take our annual deep dive into the most-streamed tracks of the year and discuss the genres, artists, languages and labels that dominated the charts.Dec 19, 202341:31Decoding Anuv Jain's Streaming Success ft. Aayushman SinhaOn this week’s episode, our guest Aayushman Sinha, the founder of music-centric entertainment and management company Represent, helps us break down the massive streaming success of the most popular artist on his roster, singer-songwriter Anuv Jain whose new track "Husn" has debuted on the charts within just a week of release. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on December 8, 2023.Dec 11, 202331:50Why even Bollywood smashes are generating fewer hitsThis was the year Bollywood music finally bounced back in a way with several box-office smashes, many of which spawned top ten tunes. On this week's episode, we discuss how and why even though the number of chart successes from Hindi films increased, the soundtracks as a whole generated fewer hits. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on December 1, 2023.Dec 05, 202335:18Why "Hass Hass" Has Done What Other International Collabs Haven'tOn this week’s episode, we talk about how Diljit Dosanjh and Sia’s track “Hass Hass”, which has broken into the top five, stands out among similar collaborations between Indian and international acts. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on November 24, 2023. --------------------------- Link to the Hivewire episode mentioned in the episode here : bit.ly/47BF5Kf --------------------------- Check out Women of Music India, a women-ed community emerging from the Indian music industry. Become a member today : www.womenofmusicindia.com/ Nov 27, 202327:49[Short] Why the #1 isn't always the country's most popular songIn March, we reported how the previous week's chart topper "Apna Bana Le" from the movie 'Bhediya' went AWOL from the chart after Zee Music Company's catalogue was pulled off Spotify. Three weeks ago, the track re-entered the survey, indicating that the service and the label have renewed their licensing agreement. This week, "Apna Bana Le" is at #58, all the way up from #98 making it one of the biggest climbers. Its disappearance in March kicked off a discussion on whether #1 on charts truly means #1 in the country. In India’s case, the answer is: not necessarily. We dive into why on this week’s short.Nov 20, 202315:33[Short] The Indian Obsession with winning a GrammyIn the week that went by, the 2024 Grammy nominations were announced so we thought it would be timely to revisit a conversation from February 2023 in which we discuss the Grammys, why Indian artists aspire to win them and if such awards continue to hold the relevance they once did. PS: If you are listening on Spotify, we have a poll about just this. If we get some interesting answers, we will share them during next week’s episode. We will be back from Diwali break next week, until then, happy listening!Nov 13, 202307:25The Appeal of Anirudh Ravichander (ft. Lalitha Suhasini)On this week's episode, we analyse the recent chart dominance of Tamil film composer and singer Anirudh Ravichander, with special guest, music journalist Lalitha Suhasini. We talk about how Anirudh's songs for Leo mark an artistic evolution and discuss why he's been able to become one of the most successful music directors of his generation. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on November 3, 2023.Nov 08, 202332:36How co*ke Studio Bharat Scored Its Biggest HitOn this week's episode, we break down the success of "Khalasi", the breakout hit from co*ke Studio Bharat, the new avatar of co*ke Studio India. We discuss the reasons why the track has performed better than others from the season, and what the tune's recent virality could mean for the future of the series. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on October 27, 2023.Oct 31, 202327:38The case for cross-border collaborationDuring the past week, when the Bombay High Court rejected a plea for the ban on artists from Pakistan performing in India, a track by a new trio from the neighbouring country rose up the charts. The events inspired this week's episode in which we make the case for cross-border collaborations and elaborate how both nations can benefit greatly from them. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on October 20, 2023.Oct 24, 202329:51[Revisit] What's The Difference Between A Trend And A Hit?We are on a mid-season break and will be back on 24th October 2023! Until then, we're revisiting a segment of our first live podcast recording, which took place at the All About Music conference last month. Here, Bhavya Anand, co-founder of Bluprint, the artist development agency that represents rapper-singer King; singer Asses Kaur; and Padmanabhan 'Paddy' NS, the head of artist and label partnerships at Spotify India, discuss with us the difference between a trend and a hit.Oct 17, 202307:31Cracking a hit formula ft. DennyContrary to what musicians are often told, there is a formula to follow that can increase the song's chances of becoming a hit and on this week's episode, we have a special guest whose current smash is proof of this. We speak to rising composer Denny about the success of his top 20 single "Chale Jaana Phir (Humko Tere Bina)" and how his meticulous approach to composing, audience research and marketing have resulted in the biggest streams of his career. He also shares some invaluable advice for upcoming artists, while we, as always, look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the week ending October 5, 2023.Oct 10, 202348:53Why fewer international hits are charting in IndiaOn this week's episode, we talk about why the number of hits in non-Indian languages has halved over the last year. We discuss how international tracks are breaking through in India today, what music exporters need to do to cross over here, and why the charts may not always adequately reflect a foreign act's domestic popularity, while looking at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on September 29, 2023.--------Here is the link to the Hivewire article mentioned in this week's episode. Hivewire is an independent music industry publication launched in June 2023 by Srishti Das. This dynamic newsletter offers a unique perspective on the music industry, focusing on emerging markets: https://www.hivewire.club/hivewire-07-winning-in-emerging-markets-requires-a-shift-from-surface-level-localisation-to-meaningful-localisation/Oct 03, 202331:36Contextualising record-breaking streams On this week's episode, we talk about key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on September 15, 2023 on which "Chaleya" from 'Jawan' broke the record for the most plays in a week on the platform within the country. We discuss how the time span between all-time streaming records being broken is decreasing, the factors that are contributing to these massive numbers and whether a particular kind of song is hitting these high marks.Sep 20, 202331:25Where does a hit come from in 2023? ft. Asees Kaur, Padmanaban NS (Spotify India), Bhavya Anand (BluPrint)This week, we present a special episode that was recorded live at the All About Music conference in Mumbai this past weekend. We begin the show with a look at the contribution of different labels, languages and genres to the tracks to have reached the top ten of the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart over the last eight months, and then discuss the difference between a trend and a hit, the importance of artist' fandoms, and how the very definition of a hit can vary, with our guests, singer and chart topper Asses Kaur; the head of artist and label partnerships at Spotify India, Padmanabhan 'Paddy' NS; and the co-founder of artist development agency Bluprint, Bhavya Anand.We would like to thank our friends and partners who helped us bring this to life: Chandni Soni, Ashish Jose aka Tarqeeb, Roydon Bangera, Nikhil Udupa, Savio Fialho, Krishna Ahuja, Luxman Gupta.PS: We mention some stats and graphs in the start of the episode. You can see them here: bit.ly/3PxMbceSep 12, 202355:04Do music videos matter anymore?On this week's episode, we talk about key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on September 1, 2023 and whether music videos are as essential for a song's success as they were in the past. We discuss how eyeballs are increasingly shifting toward short format content and why the importance of an MV varies from genre to genre.PS: We will be at All About Music on 9th September hosting a live session about 'Where do hits come from in 2023?'. The session is scheduled for 2:15 PM at Ballroom 3 @ The Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. The event is sold out so if you already got your passes, we will see you there! Sep 05, 202340:11How A Docu Series Returned An Act To The Top 10On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on August 25 and talk about an artist making a huge leap into the top three. We discuss how the release of AP Dhillon's Amazon Prime documentary series First of A Kind has propelled streams of not only his back catalogue but also his newest release, which has become his first top ten of 2023.The Indian Music Charts Podcast is going to be live at All About Music 2023! All About Music takes place between 7 -9 th September at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. Know more and get tickets: https://allaboutmusic.in/Aug 29, 202331:35How a Tamil song got to #1After last week's Independence Day special, we return to regular programming with a look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart. We talk about the accomplishment of a significant chart milestone on the survey published on August 18, 2023, when "Hukum" from Rajinikanth starrer 'Jailer' became the first south Indian-language track to hit #1. We discuss the factors that led to this moment, why composer and singer Anirudh Ravichander was poised to be the musician to achieve this, and why the song's rise to the summit was somewhat unique.Also, we have an announcement: The Indian Music Charts Podcast is going to be live at All About Music 2023! All About Music takes place between 7 -9 th September at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai. Know more and get tickets: https://allaboutmusic.in/Aug 22, 202328:27Why Indian music is more than BollywoodOn the launch episode of our third season, we celebrate India's Independence Day with a look at Spotify's top five south Asian music playlists outside of south Asia. We talk about how and why genres and regional languages are gaining fans across the world, and Indian music is finally being seen as much more than just Bollywood.Aug 15, 202323:45[Revisit] Should Independent acts sign with labels?One week to go for season 3! In the meanwhile, this revisit also serves as a little bit of a tease for the debut episode of S3, dropping on 15th August. Join us as we discuss if Independent acts should sign with labels. The answer is not as cut and dry as you'd expect. Aug 08, 202310:57[Revisit] Why does Punjabi music have a wide appeal?We are on a season break and will be back on 15th August 2023 with a new season! In the meanwhile, we revisit the archives where we discuss why Punjabi music, more so than any other language, has been able to win the crossover game not just outside India but also inter-India.Aug 01, 202311:04Why India desperately needs an official all-genre music chartOn this week's episode, which happens to be our season finale, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 21. We discuss the Indian music industry's need for an official all-genre chart similar to the US's Billboard Hot 100, what such a ranking might look like if it were available today, and why labels, artists and assorted stakeholders stand to benefit from its creation.We are shaping season 3 as we speak. If you have ideas or feedback, you can reach out to us at @akhila141 and @amitgurbaxani on Instagram. Jul 25, 202334:41[Talk+Music] Why India desperately needs an official all-genre music chartEpisodes with music are only available on Spotify.On this week's episode, which happens to be our season finale, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 21. We discuss the Indian music industry's need for an official all-genre chart similar to the US's Billboard Hot 100, what such a ranking might look like if it were available today, and why labels, artists and assorted stakeholders stand to benefit from its creation.We are shaping season 3 as we speak. If you have ideas/feedback you can reach out to us at @akhila141 and @amitgurbaxani on InstagramJul 25, 202337:52[Talk+Music] What will it take for Indian hip hop to go mainstream?Episodes with music are only available on Spotify.On this week's episode,we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 14 and talk about the making of the week's highest new entry with a special guest. Chaitanya Kataria, the co-founder and CEO of Gully Gang Entertainment, takes us behind the scenes of the composition and release of the highly anticipated DIVINE-Sidhu Moosewala collaboration "Chorni", and tells us what he believes it will take for Indian hip-hop to become as popular as Bollywood music.Jul 18, 202339:13What will it take for Indian hip hop to go mainstream?On this week's episode,we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 14 and talk about the making of the week's highest new entry with a special guest. Chaitanya Kataria, the co-founder and CEO of Gully Gang Entertainment, takes us behind the scenes of the composition and release of the highly anticipated DIVINE-Sidhu Moosewala collaboration "Chorni", and tells us what he believes it will take for Indian hip-hop to become as popular as Bollywood music.Jul 18, 202336:09What's the definition of an 'Indian pop star' in 2023? (ft. Jay Mehta - Managing Director, Warner Music India)On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 7 and discuss what makes a pop star in India today, with special guest Jay Mehta, the managing director of Warner Music India. We talk about how two big artists with tracks in the top ten*, King and Darshan Raval,* have shaped their careers, the secrets behind their success and the factors that made Mehta and his team want to sign them.Jul 11, 202342:56[Talk+Music] What's the definition of an 'Indian pop star' in 2023? (ft. Jay Mehta - Managing Director, Warner Music India)Episodes with music are only available on Spotify.On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 7 and discuss what makes a pop star in India today, with special guest Jay Mehta, the managing director of Warner Music India. We talk about how two big artists with tracks in the top ten have shaped their careers, the secrets behind their success and the factors that made Mehta and his team want to sign them.Jul 11, 202345:59Is all publicity good publicity?On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 30 and talk about whether a controversy can affect a track's success. We discuss the impact of a police complaint against the video for the week's highest new entry and how the consequences of deviating from widely accepted societal norms can vary from region to region and genre to genre. Lastly, we analyse whether saying or doing the wrong thing can still kill a career.Jul 04, 202338:34[Talk+Music] Is all publicity good publicity?Episodes with music are only available on Spotify.On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 30 and talk about whether a controversy can affect a track's success. We discuss the impact of a police complaint against the video for the week's highest new entry and how the consequences of deviating from widely accepted societal norms can vary from region to region and genre to genre. Lastly, we analyse whether saying or doing the wrong thing can still kill a career.Jul 04, 202342:47[Half-year Special] The trends of 2023 so farThis week, we present a special episode during which we talk about three major trends we've gleaned from Weekly Top Songs India chart over the past six months. We discuss why Punjabi hip-hop is going strong as the hottest genre of the moment, why no international tracks reached the top ten and whether Bollywood music has truly bounced back.Jun 27, 202341:27Should artists share political views?On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 16 and talk about whether artists should publicly express their political viewpoints. We discuss why a controversial post had a relatively small impact for an act behind a big mover in the top ten and explore how the repercussions for being outspoken can vary for musicians working in different genres and segments of the industry. We also touch upon why sometimes it's necessary for performers to take a stand.Jun 20, 202337:00[Talk+Music] Should artists share political views?Episodes with music are only available on Spotify.On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 16 and talk about whether artists should publicly express their political viewpoints. We discuss why a controversial post had a relatively small impact for an act behind a big mover in the top ten and explore how the repercussions for being outspoken can vary for musicians working in different genres and segments of the industry. We also touch upon why sometimes it's necessary for performers to take a stand.Jun 20, 202339:49[Bonus] How can indie acts transition to mainstream stars?We are taking a break from regular programming this week to revisit the archives. Earlier this year we sat down with Roochay Shukla (Sr. Marketing Manager, Outdustry). On this bonus episode, we dive into the different factors that can help indie artists transition to mainstream stars. Spoiler alert: Playlisting on DSPs is only a small part of the equation. The original episode was published in Jan 2023. You can listen to it here: https://bit.ly/43y323eJun 12, 202309:29[Talk+Music] Is the term "non-film music" a paradox?Episodes with music are only available on Spotify.On this week's episode, we talk about key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 2 and discuss why the term "non-film" is problematic. We look at how a prominent new entry on this week's survey exemplifies how "non-film" is an inadequate label for a genre that's often closely connected with film music. We also examine why such a name is detrimental to ongoing efforts to build an artist-focused eco-system in the Indian music industry, which has for too long been dependent on the movie business. Finally, we suggested an alternative that actually says what's on the tinJun 06, 202337:52Is the term "non-film music" a paradox?On this week's episode, we talk about key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 2 and discuss why the term "non-film" is problematic. We look at how a prominent new entry on this week's survey exemplifies how "non-film" is an inadequate label for a genre that's often closely connected with film music. We also examine why such a name is detrimental to ongoing efforts to build an artist-focused eco-system in the Indian music industry, which has for too long been dependent on the movie business. Finally, we suggested an alternative that actually says what's on the tinJun 06, 202333:40
