ITV

Category: Music and Youth

  • Sony & Spotify ink partnership for new music service on PlayStation

    Sony & Spotify ink partnership for new music service on PlayStation

    MUMBAI: Sony Network Entertainment International LLC (SNEI) and Spotify have inked a global strategic partnership to deliver a best-in-class digital music experience to PlayStation Network and its 64 million active users.

     

    Through this partnership, SNEI will launch a new music destination in Spring 2015 called PlayStation Music, with Spotify as the exclusive partner. Spotify on PlayStation Music will roll out in 41 markets, initially for PlayStation consoles and Xperia smartphones and tablets. 

     

    “Music is a core component of the entertainment offering that consumers expect from Sony, and our goal with PlayStation Music is to provide the most compelling music experiences to the millions of PlayStation Network users around the world. This partnership represents the best in music and the best in gaming coming together, which will benefit the vibrant and passionate communities of both Spotify and PlayStation Network. We’re thrilled to make Spotify the foundation of our strategy with PlayStation Music,” said Sony Computer Entertainment Inc president and group CEO and Network Entertainment Business group executive in charge Andrew House. 

     

    PlayStation Network and Spotify’s award-winning digital music service will be deeply integrated, offering unique and exclusive benefits to users. PlayStation Network users can link their accounts with Spotify, making it easy to subscribe to Spotify’s Premium service through the PlayStation Network wallet. 

     

    “We are incredibly honored to partner with Sony and PlayStation to give gamers around the world an amazing experience wherever they listen to music. As a gamer and PlayStation 4 user myself, I’m super excited to be able to soundtrack my FIFA 15 Arsenal matches later this spring,” said Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek. 

     

    Spotify on PlayStation Music will offer more than 30 million songs and 1.5 billion playlists on PlayStation4 (PS4) and PlayStation3 (PS3) systems, as well as Xperia smartphones and tablets. Users will be able to create a music collection and listen to playlists (including existing playlists from current Spotify users as well as Spotify curated playlists) and enjoy the service on all of Spotify’s supported devices. Additionally, PS4 owners will be able to use Spotify while playing games, enabling them to soundtrack their gaming sessions with their favourite songs playing in the background. 

     

    SNEI’s current Music Unlimited service will close in all 19 countries on 29 March9, 2015. Nearly all of these countries will be among the 41 markets where PlayStation Music featuring Spotify will be available at launch. From 28 February, 2015, Music Unlimited users with active subscriptions will receive up to 30 days of free access to Music Unlimited through 29 March, 2015, and will be offered an introductory Spotify Premium trial.

  • Nick Jonas & Universal Music Publishing ink new deal

    Nick Jonas & Universal Music Publishing ink new deal

    MUMBAI: This week Nick Jonas and Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) executives had double reason to celebrate, as the pop superstar’s second hit radio single “Jealous” reached No.1 — officially claiming the top spot on the Mediabase Pop Airplay Chart. The No.1 milestone for Jonas also occurred on the heels of concluding his new worldwide publishing deal with UMPG.

     

    “I’m so thrilled to be a part of the Universal family, I’m looking forward to being a part of this amazing year to come,” said Jonas.

     

    “Nick Jonas has a long future ahead of him, not only as a major pop star but as a really inventive songwriter and producer. We’re delighted to be working with him and our label partners at Island/Republic, and extremely proud of his well-deserved No.1,” said Universal Music Publishing Group chairman and CEO Jody Gerson.

     

    Through the deal UMPG will represent Jonas’ songs on his sophomore solo studio album, Nick Jonas (Island Records), which was released 10 November. UMPG will provide global creative and administration services, as well as represent his repertoire for synch licensing in films, TV, games, apps and other media.

     

    Jonas wrote or co-wrote six songs on the album including “Jealous,” his first No.1. The song has remained steadily in the Top 10 for 18 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, scanning more than 1.1 million since release (Nielsen). It’s his second trip to the Top 10 overall: Jonas reached No.10 in 2009 as a member of the Jonas Brothers with “Paranoid.” Jonas’ dance mix, “Jealous (2-1),” which feat remixes from Bent Collective, the Rooftop Boys and Ugo among others, also reached the summit of Billboard’s Dance Club Songs chart. 

  • MTV ‘Roadies X2’ takes a different route

    MTV ‘Roadies X2’ takes a different route

    MUMBAI: MTV Roadies has become India’s longest running reality show and this time round, there’s something different in store. “It’s the 12th season and yet it feels like the first,” says MTV India EVP and business head Aditya Swamy about the cult youth reality show.

     

    So what is special this season? For starters, the show has gone for a complete makeover. This year it is breaking the format wide open, thus bringing in the unexpected.

     

    Going the unexpected way…

     

    This season, few changes in the format are the highlight:

     

    1) Sans the bad boys Raghu and Rajiv, it brings on board a whole new legion of gang leaders to join the original roadie Rannvijay Singh. The new gang leaders are actress Esha Deol, Olympic medalist and boxer Vijender Singh and television actor Karan Kundra.

     

    According to Swamy each one of them represents a certain factor. For instance, Vijendra represents the fact that winning is all that matters; Kundra represents that Roadies is just not about being physically tough but also being smart and Deol represents the girl power.

     

    “Each of them brings new packet to the show and along with them they will bring their own fan base that will increase the viewership base for the show itself,” adds Swamy.

     

    2) Having a female personality as a gang leader in Deol itself is a novelty this season.

     

    3) MTV wants to reflect youth power in the show. For the past 11 seasons, judges took over the power to select the contestants. This year, the channel has given the power to the audience as well. “There is the power to the audience and young people believe that they have the power to drive change more than ever,” states Swamy.

     

    4) Another change in the format is the journey itself. Roadies X2 gangs will ride along the scenic route from the holy city of Varanasi to the birthplace of The Ganges in Nepal.

     

    “Like always everyone expected the journey will start from Goa but this time around it is starting from Varanasi and goes all the way to the Himalayas. It is going to be a visual delight in terms of locations and the feel of the show,” Swamy says.

     

    Let the game begin…

     

    The auditions were held in four cities – Pune, Kolkata, Delhi and Chandigarh in December. Thousands of hopefuls showed up at each audition venue, some even camping over night to get an early entry into the auditions.

     

    According to Swamy, auditions are an event in themselves. He believes that the confidence is growing in the youth every year. “The views of youth are becoming much broader and liberal today. I see less lack of judgments and much more acceptance happening with young people. To top it all, I also see more and more girls coming in for auditions, which is very positive sign.”

     

    In the game, participants will not just compete against each other to become the ultimate ‘Roadie’ but will compete in gangs too. Each ‘gang leader’ – Rannvijay, Vijender, Kundra and Esha – will pick five participants for their own gangs.

     

    These gangs and their leaders will then compete against each other through a series of tasks to eliminate each other from the show. The gang leader and the gang member that stays through the end, winning the maximum number of tasks will be adjudged as the winner.

     

    Roadies X2 will see participation of 20 contestants (five members in each of the four gangs) and will air for 17 episodes.

     

    Behind the scenes

     

    Swamy shared his thoughts on how tough it is to make a reality show in this country. He reveals that out of 12 months, July is the only month of break for the channel.

     

    The channel starts planning for the show sometime in August followed by audition rounds that takes place in September till November. And the shoot begins in the month of December followed by the edit etc. The show goes live in the month of January with the season ending in the month of June.

     

    “People say that Roadies is the longest running reality show in the country, but what people don’t think that it is tough to make a reality show in this country. It is our labour of love. Every member of the crew has to embody that Roadies spirit because they live in the toughest of conditions, work with really challenging situations. A lot of the tasks are actually done by the crew themselves to check whether it is safe and do-able.”

     

    Swamy says that everybody has a role to play. Nobody is a celebrity and nobody is a worker, all are Roadies. Each one comes back wiser, stronger and more confident every season.

     

    Big pockets

     

    This season Hero MotoCorp continues to be the title sponsor and Vivo Smart Phone has come on board as the associate sponsor along with traditional long term partners like Mountain Dew, Ciat tyres etc. In all, the channel has roped in 12 sponsors this season. Swamy believes it is a big magnet for advertisers as well to connect with the youth.

     

    The show is all set to hit the television screens on 24 January with expected 20 per cent higher advertising revenues in its 12th season. It will be aired on Saturdays at 7 pm.

     

    According to media analysts, the channel expects 15 per cent higher ad-rates for its 10-second slots, while the title sponsor, Hero has spent about 22-25 per cent higher to get the association.

     

    While the channel chose to remain tight-lipped about the financial details, the analyst has also informed that a single 10-second slot on the show is being offered at Rs 25,000 – Rs 30,000.

     

    Along with this, unlike many other successful properties on television, Roadies demands Rs 15,000 – RS 17,000 for a 10-second slot on the repeats of the episodes too, which is close to 50 per cent of the original telecast.

     

    Marketing buzz

     

    The channel has targeted top colleges in the country to promote the event. It has also got on-board few Bollywood celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham and Akshay Kumar to talk on how excited they are that the show is coming back on television.

     

    Roadies is also very popular on the online platform and has high viewership. Digital auditions too will help the channel attract eyeballs from the youth.

     

    According to a media planner, even in the 12th season, the show is going to work for the channel. “It’s become a youth icon now. There is no chance of the show seeing a fatigue as it has already made a strong base for itself in the crowd. Every year there will be newer audiences coming in to watch the show. Moreover, on the digital front too, the channel gets good traction. To top it all, it’s fun and popular.”

  • Q3-2015: Shemaroo reports 17% q-o-q PAT growth; on course to improved EPS in FY-2015

    Q3-2015: Shemaroo reports 17% q-o-q PAT growth; on course to improved EPS in FY-2015

    BENGALURU: For the second quarterly results (Q3-2015) since its listing after its initial public offering (IPO) in September 2014, Shemaroo Entertainment Limited (Shemaroo) has reported a 16.9 per cent growth in PAT at Rs 10.02 crore (11.5 per cent of Total Income from Operations or TIO) in Q3-2015 from Rs 8.57 crore (10.1 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015, but almost flat (0.6 per cent growth) as compared to the Rs 9.96 crore (11.6 per cent of TIO) in Q3-2014. During 9M-2015, PAT at Rs 28.30 crore (12 per cent of IO) was 38.8 per cent more than the Rs 20.39 crore (9.6 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.

     

    Note: 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10 million = 1 crore

    All numbers in this report are consolidated numbers

     

    The company’s Earnings per Share (EPS) in Q3-2015 at Rs 4.6 was lower than the Rs 5.01 in Q3-2014, but higher than the Rs 3.94 in the immediate trailing quarter. 9M-2015 EPS was 12.93 versus the Rs 10.27 in 9M-2014. During FY-2014, (before IPO and listing) Shemaroo’s EPS was Rs 14.08, and the company should exceed this figure if things continue as they have been so far.

     

    The company’s TIO in Q3-2015 at Rs 87.28 crore was 1.9 per cent more than the Rs 85.65 crore in Q3-2014 and 2.7 per cent more than the Rs 84.96 crore in Q2-2015. In 9M-2015, Shemaroo’s TIO at Rs 236.73 crore was 12 per cent more than the Rs 211.33 crore in 9M-2014.

     

    Shemaroo’s total expenditure (TE) in Q3-2015 at Rs 68.5 crore (78.5 per cent of TIO) was 1.9 per cent lower than the Rs 69.82 crore (81.5 per cent of TIO) and 5.5 per cent more than the Rs 64.91 crore (76.4 per cent of TIO) in Q2-2015. TE in 9M-2015 increased 7.6 per cent to Rs 179.31 crore (75.7 per cent of TIO) from Rs 166.58 crore (78.8 per cent of TIO) in 9M-2014.

  • Universal Music and Qyuki launch CSR project for Dharavi

    Universal Music and Qyuki launch CSR project for Dharavi

    MUMBAI: Record label Universal Music and multi channel network Qyuki, which is co-founded by director Shekhar Kapur, musician AR Rahman and former Disney India MD – digital Samir Bangara have launched a new corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative titled ‘The Dharavi Project.’

     

    This one-of-a-kind initiative will fund the expansion of the music and dance schools in Dharavi, Mumbai, which was established by Qyuki in March 2014. The school aims to discover fresh talent from Dharavi and nurture them through the programme and amplify them on a domestic and international scale via digital and traditional media.

     

    Universal Music Group International chairman and CEO Max Hole said, “Music has extraordinary power and I am very proud to be here in Mumbai on behalf of UMG to help give these children an education in all aspects of making music. Whether we produce stars out of the programme or simply a lifelong love of music, we will have succeeded in giving them a start along the path of discovery of this beautiful form of expression.”

     

    Universal Music will deploy funds towards basic infrastructure, rent, utilities and equipment for the students of the school. Through this initiative, the two partners aim to nurture home-grown talent and provide them with a platform to showcase their potential. To further enhance learning and exposure, Universal Music will periodically bring in prominent singers, musicians, choreographers and producers to mentor young artists from Dharavi, while Qyuki will amplify content via its digital broadcast network on a domestic and international scale.

     

    Rahman said, “I am glad that this initiative we started at Qyuki last year is maturing into a platform that provides underprivileged children a level playing field with equal opportunity as their domestic and international peers.”

     

    ‘The Dharavi Project’ went live at a launch event in the heart of Dharavi in the presence of Rahman, Kapur and Hole along with Bangara.

     

  • Bindass ties up with MICA for second edition of Dream Start

    Bindass ties up with MICA for second edition of Dream Start

    MUMBAI: Youth channel Bindass has launched the second edition of its show – Dream Start and this time round, it has roped in Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmdedabad (MICA) as its partner.

     

    Keeping in mind the hopes and aspirations of the youth in India, Bindass will engage with them through initiatives that are purposive and action-oriented. The Dream Start initiative is a gateway for young people of India to achieve their most cherished dreams such as working for the biggest names in the business or attending a course at prestigious universities around the world and other such opportunities.

     

    Registrations for the second edition of the initiative have already started and will go on till the end of January, 2015. As per information available with Indiantelevision.com, the channel had received 600 entries up until now.

     

    While last year, Bindass gave one individual an opportunity to intern at UTV Motion Pictures after a selection process, this time round the channel is aiming for a larger group of people along with MICA. Dream Start will give the 10 most deserving candidates an opportunity to be a part of a specially designed month long course in Crafting Creative Communications at MICA.

     

    Following the initial shortlists, the selected students will be interviewed by a panel of MICA professors. Based on the discussion, top 10 candidates will be picked to join the course. The course will take place from 15 June to 15 July, 2015. The winners will be announced in May, 2015.

     

    Queried about the partnership with MICA, Disney India VP – content and communications, media networks Vijay Subramaniam said, “We have always associated with partners who share the same values and beliefs as we do and MICA, along with a strong reputation and high credibility, matched our aspirations and supported us with our vision.”

     

    He further believes that this course will help young creative minds to make an investment in themselves within the realm of creative communications. “We intend to spruce up their learning with a well-drawn out syllabus and curriculum through a period of one month, which can help them shape their career.”

     

    Talking about how the initiative will help in building the channel’s brand equity, Subramaniam said that the channel seeks to play a meaningful role in the lives of young adults by being their friend. “Bindass’ content and initiatives reflect the dynamic lives and realities of the world that the youth lives in and converse with them through entertainment that enables the young minds to take purposive action,” he said.

     

    On the marketing front, the channel first kicked off promotions on its digital platforms in December, 2014 and has recently taken to mainstream promotions on television to create awareness about the show.

     

    “In addition to this, an initiative such as this one requires a deep level of commitment and engagement from the consumers and it is essential to reach out to the right mix of youngsters who can benefit from the opportunity,” asserts Subramanian.

     

    Additionally, the channel will also be visiting 400+ colleges across the country, reaching out to students who are at the cusp of evaluating and sharpening their focus on skill sets, which can drive their career. Bindass will also target popular youth hangouts to promote Dream Start.

     

  • Shemaroo inks alliance with mobile video platform 123on

    Shemaroo inks alliance with mobile video platform 123on

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment has inked a strategic alliance with mobile video platform company 123on.

     

    123on is popularizing a new and more valuable form of mobile videos for users through which one can not only watch a video but also play with it creatively. A wide catalogue of Bollywood songs, devotional content and regional videos will be available for the consumer to download on their handsets.

     

    123on is an international phone app that can be downloaded from Google Play. Users can download any video and set them as video ringtone or video wallpaper, giving their phone a unique style. Users can also stay updated with memorable moments in Bollywood history every time they check their phone and during incoming calls. The instant Push feature also allows users to surprise their friends by selecting the video displayed on their friend’s phone when calling, thus opening doors for back and forth pranks between friends.

     

    Consumers can choose to watch old melodies to latest numbers, aarti, bhajans etc from Shemaroo’s catalogue. The alliance will further strengthen Shemaroo’s reach globally.

     

    “We are pleased to partner with 123on as the company is creating a new trend for mobile video users and producer. A user can actually play with the video and use it as video ringtone or video wallpaper. The partnership is aligned with our strategy to offer our audience entertainment on every possible platform where our consumers are present,” said Shemaroo Entertainment director Jai Maroo.

     
    123on founder Mikael Jansson added, “We are extremely proud to be partner of Shemaroo Entertainment, one of the largest content houses in India, known for its wide range of catalogue that includes Bollywood content to devotional videos, Hindi to regional languages and many more. Adding another milestone with our first partnership in India as well as in the film industry really shows the flexibility and potential of our platform.”

     

  • Vh1 turns 10; to focus on content acquisition

    Vh1 turns 10; to focus on content acquisition

    MUMBAI: English entertainment music channel, Vh1 has had quite an interesting journey. As it completes 10 years in India, the channel plans to focus its energies on content acquisition with renewed vigour.

    The channel’s roller-coaster bumpy ride began exactly a decade ago on 1 January, 2005, when MTV India and Zee-Turner teamed up to usher in this English channel.

    Likening himself to an old fossil, Viacom18 EVP and business head, English Entertainment, Ferzad Palia says, “There were around 175 competing channels when we launched. We had to differentiate our product from the rest and we had to simultaneously build the genre, so that the seeds of investment would start bearing fruit.”

    The channel started off fairly low key, with 40 English music videos in three cities, and had to re-popularize a variety of English music throughout the country. On the other hand, MTV changed its course and programming content to Hindi. Vh1, thus, catered to audiences, who had grown up and thrived on English music.

    Right from its launch, audiences often mistook the brand name for Vhr. Hence, it was tough going for the channel to captivate audiences initially. Multiple approaches ensued. The first one being print ads, wherein the name of the channel was literally spelt out below the logo for people to comprehend the brand well. Secondly, the channel began launching live events such as music festivals to create brand recall. Thirdly, radio and BTL promos along with constant verbalizing on the channel, helped differentiate the channel as well as its name. Finally, it captured youthful audiences in places like salons, had tie-ups with popular branded cafes, gyms and similar set-ups.

    This was followed by integrating the brand with its first on-ground event in 2005 called the Hip Hop Hustle where VH1 roped in Nokia as the presenting sponsor. The next move was to scale up on the content, wherein long format shows like Pimp My Ride, Buried Life and Fabulous Life were introduced. As part of its weekend programming for mature and older audiences, melodious Vh1 Classics were aired.

    The channel then aggressively decided to acquire prestigious award shows like the American Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, Video Music Awards, and the Grammy’s amongst a host of others.

    Palia adds, “Currently we showcase one award show every month and through our ‘Vh1 Ticket To Ride’ contest, winners are sent abroad to actually witness the awards live.”

    The genres consumed the most on the channel are Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and soulful pop music. In 2014, VH1 bagged the rights to exclusively air two immensely popular talent shows – none other than Britain’s Got Talent and X-Factor.

    The two English-speaking metros namely Mumbai and Bengaluru, were the first two markets, which performed well for the channel. However, the channel caught the fancy of audiences in Delhi and the NCR region soon enough.

    In 2008, the presence of the channel had grown beyond the eight metros as cities like Pune and Ahmedabad surprisingly also started witnessing growth. Palia credits the DTH phenomenon at that time to have aided the growth in smaller markets.

    Talking about the opportunities offered by the channel for various brands, Palia said, “Instead of just a 10 second slot, we offer customization for various brands in categories such as jewellery, chewing gum, automobiles and FMCG through our on-ground events and shows.”

    Palia roughly places the ad revenue for the category at approximately Rs 175 crore, informing that the channel took eight long years to first break even, and only then did it see profits trickling in.

    “Currently, the channel has a very mixed viewership share of 20-22 per cent in the English music and entertainment category,” informs Palia. Age-wise, urban audiences in the age group of 15 – 24 contribute to 55 per cent of the audience share, while the age group of 25+ also devour and view the channel avidly.

    On social media, the Facebook page of Vh1 has approximately 31,18, 576 likes while its Twitter handle has as many as 234,000 followers. An in-house team closely follows and monitors the content on these platforms. The channel uses them to not only harness instant and real-time feedback, but also to create the necessary buzz ahead of aggressive launches.

    Vh1 has lined up a host of exciting activities as it celebrates its tenth year in India. As a part of this initiative, the top 100 videos of all time played over the last 10 years are being showcased. Secondly, the most played and popular videos on the channel of all time are being aired to cater to its audiences. Thirdly, it has decided to go down memory lane and telecast its first local show called Vh1 Music Diaries, which tracks the nostalgic journey of the channel.

    The celebrations commenced at the recently concluded Vh1 Supersonic Festival, which was held in Goa where almost 15,000 fans sang ‘Happy Birthday’ with gusto. This was followed by multiple anniversary bashes hosted on New Year’s Eve across six metros namely Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Hyderabad. Various contests giving out prizes for winners are also a part of the celebration plans.

    Palia signs off saying, “Our aim is to keep evolving as we follow a similar aggressive, focussed strategy for content acquisition. In the years ahead, we will surely set innovative trends and let our audiences enjoy the best content.”

  • FIPB defers INX Music’s proposal

    FIPB defers INX Music’s proposal

    NEW DELHI: The proposal by INX Music to undertake the additional activity of broadcasting of a non-news and current affairs channel as proposed scheme of arrangement has been deferred by the Foreign Investments Promotion Board of the Finance Ministry (FIPB).

    INX Music aggregates and distributes music content for TV channels, having 70.85 per cent indirect foreign investment.

    The FIPB has also deferred a proposal by Insight Media City for allotting shares to a non-resident Indian.

    IMC was incorporated on 21 March 2013. FIPB was informed that IMC has received inward remittance of Rs 2,40,00,052.05 from the NRI Alungal Mohammad and shares would be allotted to the NRI investor after FIPB approval. The existing shareholding in IMC is entirely held by resident Indians.

    After the FIPB approval, 17.379 per cent of the total share capital in Insight Media City will be held by Mohammad and the rest 82.621 per cent by resident Indians.

     

  • CRISIL assigns A-/Stable credit rating to Shemaroo Entertainment

    CRISIL assigns A-/Stable credit rating to Shemaroo Entertainment

    MUMBAI: Shemaroo Entertainment (Shemaroo), one of the largest independent content aggregators in Bollywood, today announced that CRISIL has assigned its ‘CRISIL A-/ Stable’ rating to the long term bank facilities of Shemaroo. Post this, the existing credit rating enjoyed by the Company on its long term banking facilities stands upgraded by 3 notches.

     

    Rating Rationale by CRISIL:

     

    The rating reflects the benefits that Shemaroo derives from its established market position as a distributor of film content in the re-issue cycle, supported by a large library of content rights and its strong financial risk profile. The rating also reflects CRISIL’s belief that the company’s capital structure will remain below 0.5 times over the medium term. These rating strengths are partially offset by the company’s long working capital cycle marked by long inventory holding period leading to price volatility risks along with high debtor days and its exposure to intense competition in the new media segment.

     

    CRISIL believes that Shemaroo will maintain its credit risk profile supported by its strong market position and financial risk profile. The outlook may be revised to ‘Positive’ if the company’s enhances its business risk profile, backed by sustainable improvement in its sales to inventory ratio and its receivables management, while maintaining its healthy profitability levels and strong financial risk profile. Conversely, the outlook may be revised to ‘Negative’ if the company’s cash accruals declines significantly or of its working capital cycle lengthens, leading to deterioration in the company’s financial risk profile.