Tag: Indian Music

Sony Music Publishing & Tips Music strike global renewal, add Youtube

MUMBAI: Hindi music beats are going global, and Sony Music Publishing (SMP) is ensuring they reach every corner of the world. Sony Music Publishing and Tips Music Ltd have renewed their exclusive global publishing agreement, marking an expanded multi-year deal that now includes Youtube (worldwide, excluding India) as a key platform for publishing exploitation. This strategic move will propel Tips Music’s legendary catalogue onto the global stage with even more firepower.

The partnership underscores a shared mission-to amplify Indian music’s international presence. As Bollywood soundtracks and independent Indian music continue to gain traction worldwide, this deal grants SMP extended rights to Tips Music’s 32,000+ track catalogue across 24 languages. That means more Indian music in films, TV shows, ads, and digital platforms everywhere.

Sony Music Publishing’s president – international Guy Henderson expressed enthusiasm about the continued collaboration, “We are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with Kumar and his team at Tips. Tips’ exceptional growth has been a constant factor over many years. Sony Music Publishing looks forward to an exciting future with Tips, with their continued growth and success around the world.”

For Tips Music Ltd MD Kumar Taurani the renewed partnership signals a new era of global impact, “Building on the success of our initial partnership with Sony Music Publishing, this renewal marks an exciting evolution in our global publishing business. In just over a year of collaboration, we’ve seen remarkable growth in our international music usage, with our songs finding new listeners across continents. Adding Youtube as a platform opens significant new avenues for our artists and catalogues to reach audiences worldwide.”

Beyond global distribution, the partnership is set to maximise publishing revenues through Sony Music Publishing’s advanced reporting systems and global partnerships. Tips Music Ltd CEO Hari Nair highlighted the significance of this, stating, “Sony Music Publishing has the best teams and world-class reporting systems, allowing Tips to monitor publishing revenues. The enhanced agreement with SMP enables us to leverage their unparalleled international network of partners and societies globally. The addition of Youtube should drive significant growth in our international publishing revenues.”

Meanwhile, Sony Music Publishing India MD Dinraj Shetty emphasised the larger vision, “Our strengthened partnership and renewed collaboration with Tips Music marks a new era of growth and global impact. By combining their iconic catalogue with our publishing expertise, we are committed to bringing the soul of Indian music to audiences worldwide.”

Tips Music isn’t stopping at just licensing and publishing. The company plans to invest heavily in 12-15 Hindi and regional film albums annually, alongside a robust slate of independent music under Tips Originals.

As Indian music continues to captivate audiences worldwide, this partnership positions Sony Music Publishing and Tips Music at the forefront of this cultural expansion. The deal is expected to significantly boost publishing revenue streams while creating new opportunities for collaboration, sync licensing, and digital growth.

March 3, 2025
Chaitanya Verma releases soulful indie pop track ‘Meri Banke Rehna’

Mumbai: Emerging singer and songwriter Chaitanya Verma releases his latest single, ‘Meri Banke Rehna’, through Hoopr, India’s first music licensing platform. This Indie-Pop track expresses the universal desire to hold onto a loved one, with an infectious rhythm and emotionally resonant lyrics. The song serves as a heartfelt dedication for anyone wishing to express their deepest feelings.

Alongside the track, a lyrical video is available on YouTube, adding depth to the soulful tune. ‘Meri Banke Rehna’ demonstrates Verma’s talent for translating raw emotions into music that resonates with listeners. The song touches on love, connection, and commitment, and is available for streaming on Hoopr (https://hoopr.ai/track/meri-banke-rehna) and YouTube.

Chaitanya Verma, originally from Nainital, Uttarakhand, is a semi-classically trained singer based in Mumbai. He combines his heartfelt songwriting with sound engineering expertise, crafting a unique sound that blends soulfulness with contemporary flair.

Chaitanya Verma commented, “I’m incredibly thankful to Hoopr for providing a platform that not only supports independent artists like myself but also connects us with a wider audience. ‘Meri Banke Rehna’ is very special to me, and it’s exciting to see it reach new listeners through Hoopr. I’m looking forward to creating more music and continuing this journey with the amazing support from Hoopr.”

Hoopr’s co-founder and ceo, Gaurav Dagaonkar added, “At Hoopr, we believe in empowering all kinds of music artists, whether they’re just starting out or are established in their careers. Chaitanya Verma’s ‘Meri Banke Rehna’ is a beautiful addition to our platform, and we’re proud to provide a space for artists like him to share their unique talents with the world. Our mission is to give musicians the tools and opportunities they need to grow, and we’re thrilled to see such incredible talent being showcased on Hoopr.”

Hoopr’s general manager of music, Bhumika Shukla emphasised, “At Hoopr, our focus is on nurturing the indie music landscape by giving talented artists like Chaitanya Verma the platform to reach a wider audience. ‘Meri Banke Rehna’ exemplifies the rich, emotional depth that indie music brings to listeners. We are dedicated to fostering creative voices and ensuring that artists have the tools they need to thrive and connect with their fans.”

Chaitanya’s artistic mission is to inspire love and contentment in his audience. ‘Meri Banke Rehna’ extends his vision, marking another step in his musical journey. He looks forward to continuing this path and seeing where his music takes him next.

September 11, 2024
Shemaroo FilmiGaane YouTube channel touches 60 mn subscribers

Mumbai: Shemaroo FilmiGaane YouTube channel has hit the mega milestone of sixty million subscribers in the 60th year of Shemaroo. According to the data by influenex.com, Shemaroo FilmiGaane ranks third amongst the most popular music YouTube channels in India. The channel has a monthly viewership of five hundred million and it attracts around fifteen million views per day.

The channel’s content appeals to people of all ages and is a treat for every Bollywood fan. The channel’s handpicked playlists undoubtedly generate nostalgic feelings that every individual can enjoy irrespective of their age.

Shemaroo FilmiGaane has been an entertainer with its wide collection of finest classics and beautiful melodies across genres from different periods. It is one of the most loved YouTube channels from Shemaroo that has songs from almost every mood for every Bollywood lover. The eras of songs offered range from the golden era of 1950’s to the latest numbers of 2020’s. It has audiences across the globe with many Indian diasporas tuning in to enjoy their daily dose of Bollywood entertainment.

Speaking of this milestone, Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada commented, “We are thrilled to have touched this double milestone at Shemaroo. We are celebrating sixty years of our journey in the entertainment ecosystem, and our FilmiGaane channel reaching a whopping 60 million subscribers is a landmark moment for us. The fact that even the younger generation is hooked on retro songs just goes on to show that our content is very relevant to all demographics. As an organization, we stride to entertain through our strong repository as we curate content to connect with the consumers.”

May 25, 2022
Zee TV revamps new season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa; to air from 26 March

MUMBAI: Zee TV announced the revamp of one of its most popular homegrown talent showsSa Re Ga Ma Pawhich completed 20 years recently. The talent show helped enrich the Indian music fraternity with gems from its homegrown talent pool.

The channels has roped in Amul as the title sponsor, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is powered by Flipkart’ and driven by Hyundai. Also Zee TV is hoping for another co-powered by sponsor for the show. Starting from 26 March, the show will be aired at 9:30pm.

The channel has relaunched Sa Re Ga Ma Pa with new logo and a new concept. For the first time ever, a panel of 30 jury members who are experts from the music fraternity, will closely assess aspiring singers’ right from the audition stage and help the mentors in the selection process. The jury represents different components of today’s music scene from DJs and music producers to singers, arrangers and lyricists.

Talking with Indiatelevision.com, Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “The format has grown with the aegis and the engagement of the industry and for the mentors. For us Sa Re Ga Ma Pa doesn’t live for three months, it lives for the ages. Singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Divya, KunalGanjawala, ShekharRavjiani, Bela Shende, Sanjivani, Kamal Khan are the brands for us. This year’s there is very conscious participative opportunity in the show based on ability. For example,a music director will look at things very differently. It’s just not the voice that matters it’s the art of putting all things together that is important. Hence we thought that the jury will be the part of the show as the mentors will be sharpening them and then they will be evaluated by the jury. So that’s the balance we want to keep this time.”

The channel has also introduced the 100 sec clock in the show.“It’s very important for a person to understand that time is precious. People needs to value time, talent and need to give their best performance in those 100 secs. Times don’t wait for anybody. There will be no retakes or second chance as they get enough time to rehearse,” adds Hejmadi.

The mentors include the Dabangg duo from BollywoodSajid-Wajid and the affable, endearing and multiple award-winning Pritam Chakraborty who’s known to constantly offer opportunities to young newcomers. Joining them for the very first time on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is the king of Indi-Pop and Bollywood playback, the performer par excellence – Mika Singh. The young and charming Aditya Narayan groomed in a family with great musical lineage, returns to host the upcoming season.

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa will also be available on its digital platform Ditto TV and OZEE.
At 9.30pm, the show will be pitched against Sony Entertainment Television’s upcoming comedy show with comedy king Kapil Sharma which will go live from 23 April at 9 pm on weekends.

“India’s Best Dramebaaz has done really well for the channel. Once people get attached to a particular show then they will find time to watch the show. So channels will come and go and some new shows will come but certain shows will always stays. Zee has been the pioneer in this format, its first one to start in the industry and we have a very powerful run,”said Hejmadi further.

The channel has aggressive promotion plans for one of its most popular shows. “Digital will remain the important part of promotions. We will be unleashing the brand campaign with the core brand of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. After that we will go into the components to showcase what goes in the show and what will be different in the it,” informedHejmadi.

Zee TV is also planning to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international. “Music is a form of expression. In India we recite different kinds of songs and so in any other country. What we intend to do is to showcase some of the fabulous talent and get out in those market and do the local version of Sa ReGa Mas. Every SaReGaMa has to start at very particular level. There is intent to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international with a local version rather then bring international participants here, informed Hejmadi.

Essel Vision Productions Limited business head Akash Chawla, said, “The auditions across 14 cities have given us some spectacular talent spanning varied genres of music and we look forward to a great season. This season marks a strong differentiator for Sa Re Ga Ma as we introduce a new format. We have enlisted the support of 30 music connoisseurs – experts in the music fraternity who will aid the selection process right from the outset. This will be the first time that a singing reality show will have a jury of experts beyond its mentors to arrive at the finest talent. One singer will be evaluated from 30 different perspectives of music. So, the challenge for each aspirant only gets tougher.”

March 3, 2016
Zee TV revamps new season of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa; to air from 26 March

MUMBAI: Zee TV announced the revamp of one of its most popular homegrown talent showsSa Re Ga Ma Pawhich completed 20 years recently. The talent show helped enrich the Indian music fraternity with gems from its homegrown talent pool.

The channels has roped in Amul as the title sponsor, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is powered by Flipkart’ and driven by Hyundai. Also Zee TV is hoping for another co-powered by sponsor for the show. Starting from 26 March, the show will be aired at 9:30pm.

The channel has relaunched Sa Re Ga Ma Pa with new logo and a new concept. For the first time ever, a panel of 30 jury members who are experts from the music fraternity, will closely assess aspiring singers’ right from the audition stage and help the mentors in the selection process. The jury represents different components of today’s music scene from DJs and music producers to singers, arrangers and lyricists.

Talking with Indiatelevision.com, Zee TV business head Pradeep Hejmadi said, “The format has grown with the aegis and the engagement of the industry and for the mentors. For us Sa Re Ga Ma Pa doesn’t live for three months, it lives for the ages. Singers like Shreya Ghoshal, Divya, KunalGanjawala, ShekharRavjiani, Bela Shende, Sanjivani, Kamal Khan are the brands for us. This year’s there is very conscious participative opportunity in the show based on ability. For example,a music director will look at things very differently. It’s just not the voice that matters it’s the art of putting all things together that is important. Hence we thought that the jury will be the part of the show as the mentors will be sharpening them and then they will be evaluated by the jury. So that’s the balance we want to keep this time.”

The channel has also introduced the 100 sec clock in the show.“It’s very important for a person to understand that time is precious. People needs to value time, talent and need to give their best performance in those 100 secs. Times don’t wait for anybody. There will be no retakes or second chance as they get enough time to rehearse,” adds Hejmadi.

The mentors include the Dabangg duo from BollywoodSajid-Wajid and the affable, endearing and multiple award-winning Pritam Chakraborty who’s known to constantly offer opportunities to young newcomers. Joining them for the very first time on Sa Re Ga Ma Pa is the king of Indi-Pop and Bollywood playback, the performer par excellence – Mika Singh. The young and charming Aditya Narayan groomed in a family with great musical lineage, returns to host the upcoming season.

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa will also be available on its digital platform Ditto TV and OZEE.
At 9.30pm, the show will be pitched against Sony Entertainment Television’s upcoming comedy show with comedy king Kapil Sharma which will go live from 23 April at 9 pm on weekends.

“India’s Best Dramebaaz has done really well for the channel. Once people get attached to a particular show then they will find time to watch the show. So channels will come and go and some new shows will come but certain shows will always stays. Zee has been the pioneer in this format, its first one to start in the industry and we have a very powerful run,”said Hejmadi further.

The channel has aggressive promotion plans for one of its most popular shows. “Digital will remain the important part of promotions. We will be unleashing the brand campaign with the core brand of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa. After that we will go into the components to showcase what goes in the show and what will be different in the it,” informedHejmadi.

Zee TV is also planning to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international. “Music is a form of expression. In India we recite different kinds of songs and so in any other country. What we intend to do is to showcase some of the fabulous talent and get out in those market and do the local version of Sa ReGa Mas. Every SaReGaMa has to start at very particular level. There is intent to take Sa Re Ga Ma Pa international with a local version rather then bring international participants here, informed Hejmadi.

Essel Vision Productions Limited business head Akash Chawla, said, “The auditions across 14 cities have given us some spectacular talent spanning varied genres of music and we look forward to a great season. This season marks a strong differentiator for Sa Re Ga Ma as we introduce a new format. We have enlisted the support of 30 music connoisseurs – experts in the music fraternity who will aid the selection process right from the outset. This will be the first time that a singing reality show will have a jury of experts beyond its mentors to arrive at the finest talent. One singer will be evaluated from 30 different perspectives of music. So, the challenge for each aspirant only gets tougher.”

March 3, 2016
DD Bharti pays tribute to Indian music and big names in the field

NEW DELHI: The cultural channel of Doordarshan, DD Bharati, is doing a series of shows that are aimed at understanding the nuances of Indian music and paying tributes to the big names in this field.

A specially selected series entitled, “Remembering Legends- Vibhutiyon ko pranaam” will be aired this weekend. The show will offer some nifty archival performances of the Hindustani Classical Music Aces likely the legendary Dagar Brothers, Rampur Seheswan Gharana and Pt. Bhimsen Joshi. All the episodes have exclusively been curated and re-presented by Yatindra Mishra and Smt. Kumud Diwan. The telecast will be on 17 October and 18 October 2014, 9 pm onwards and repeat telecast at 5am and 1pm.

On 20 October 2014, DD Bharati, in association with the External Affairs Ministry, will telecast the programme, “Kolkata Blues” at 10:30 pm, with repeat telecasts at 6.30 and 2.30pm. This show will present a glimpse of the wide range of musical traditions that Kolkata possesses. Culturally, Kolkata has been at the epicenter of the Bengal renaissance movement and its music reflects the revoluntary sprit of Bengal and their attitude towards reform and action for social change. It shows how music runs and energises the lives of its people.

The channel will also pay homage to legendary singer Manna Dey on his death anniversary by telecasting some programmes from the rich archives of Doordarshan in “Tu Pyaar Ka Sagar Hai” on 24 October and 25 October at 10.30 pm, repeat telecasts at 6:30 and 2:30 pm. This special programme is a tribute to Dey, born as Probodh Chandra Dey in an orthodox Bengali family on 1 May 1919. Blessed with a distinctly melodious voice, Manna Dey lent his immortal print on many renditions. His popularity was not restricted to the geographical boundaries of India and his voice was worshiped in every nook and corner where an Indian heart stayed.

Earlier this week, DD Bharati commenced the telecast of “Tridiwasiye Dhrupad Dham Samorah” on 13 October at 9 pm with repeat telecast at 5am and 1pm. Dhrupad is an ancient form of classical music that comes from the Samveda. It has a long rooted history derived from ancient times. The foremost traditions developed are mainly Dagar tardition, Darbhanga tradition, Bettiah tradition, Talwandi Tradition and Bishnupur tradition. The show consists of legendary dhrupad musicians of past and present and will be presented and complied by Prashant Kumar Mallick.

October 16, 2014
Bollywood finds a new found fan in Kelly Rowland

MUMBAI: Indian music and Indian cinema has been receiving worldwide recognition lately with more and more Indian artists carving a niche for themselves on the international scene. Hence, it is no surprise that former Destiny’s Child and global singing sensation Kelly Rowland is all praises for Bollywood and Punjabi music in particular. The new judge of The X Factor USA, which currently airs on Big CBS Love, recently spoke about ‘Bhangra’ and ‘desi’ movies amongst other things.

On the topic of Bollywood movies, the singer-turned-actress surprisingly revealed, “I watch Bollywood films, I mean I love Bollywood films! They are some of the best films. How detailed they are, how much fun they are, how much colour there is and how there’s so much going on, it’s just really entertaining.” On plans of being a part of the Indian film industry in the near future? To this the Commando singer excitedly replied, “That would be very cool!”

Next up, she talked about her area of expertise – music – and revealed that Punjabi music has grown on her. Commenting on the Punjabi tracks she had recently heard she added, “Across the board it’s like jamming. If I hear this, I will start dancing, that’s fun! I don’t know what the lyrics say but whatever it is it has a nice little swing to it. I love the beats in between”, she said.

By the looks of it Indian fans might just catch a Honey Singh style chart topper from the Grammy- Award winning artist. Kelly will be the new judge on The X Factor USA season 3, every weekend exclusively on Big CBS Love premiering on 21 September every Saturday and Sunday at 10:00 pm.

October 2, 2013
Archive of Indian Music to digitise and preserve old and rare gramophone records

NEW DELHI: An ‘Archive of Indian Music’ (AIM) has been established in the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in a unique first-of-its kind effort to digitise and preserve old and rare gramophone records.

This is because many of these rare records are on the verge of destruction and would be lost forever without timely action.

The Archive was launched by External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid in the presence of renowned classical dance exponent and AIM Advisory board member Padma Vibhushan Dr. Sonal Mansingh, historian and archivist Dr. Boria Majumdar, IGNCA Member Secretary Dipali Khanna, and renowned author/historian and founder-trustee of AIM Vikram Sampath.

AIM is the brain-child of Bangalore based author/historian and Sahitya Academy winner, Vikram Sampath and has been established with the generous help of T V Mohandas Pai, chairman of Manipal Global Education.

The main objective of AIM is to create the first digital sound archive of India and disseminate the content freely among all music lovers through an online portal and through innovative ways like audio exhibitions, listening kiosks, guided listening sessions etc. and by taking it to the youth in schools and colleges and giving them a new perspective of looking at Indian history – through sound.

The range of gramophone records that will be restored include Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, Folk music, Early Cinema, Theatre, Speeches of great leaders of the country and voices of common Indians that were recorded starting 1902.

Pai believes that ‘AIM is a brilliant initiative to refurbish the rich musical tradition left behind by our ancestors, it is a unique concept that provides us with an opportunity to access the rich audio records that we have inherited and we are extremely proud of. In this day where only material gains matter to people, I am delighted to see a young man like Sampath who has worked on this with unparalleled passion and zeal and hence I came forward readily to support his dream and help it materialize.”

Sampath added, “India’s musical inheritance is a larger aspect of its identity in the world of music. AIM is an intellectual property created to save these vintage recordings for the future generations to know and be proud of the work created by the musical geniuses of our country. It breaks my heart to see this valuable cultural inheritance rot in the most despicable manner in flea markets and Kabadi shops across India. On a war-footing, we hope to reverse this trend and have set ambitious targets for ourselves – including restoration of 100,000 records within the next five years and construction of a National Sound Archive of India in Bangalore, with parallel centers in other parts of India. Equally important is disseminating this archived material for the public at large as it is the treasure that every Indian has inherited and has a rightful access to”

Established in 2011, the Trust has set up an office in association with the Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities in Bangalore and imported state-of-the-art machinery to digitise old gramophone records.

The website of AIM www.archiveofindianmusic.org features around 200 artistes and nearly 1000 tracks at present – all of which can be accessed completely freely and sitting at home. Rare tracks including Gandhiji’s Spiritual Message that he recorded in 1931 in England, the country’s first recording by Gauhar Jaan in 1902, Tagore reciting his Bengali poetry, the first recording of the National Anthem by the Viswa Bharati Chorus, the first recording of M S Subbulakshmi as a child of nine years are just a few of the valuable gems in the website. The Archive has already collected nearly 10,000 old and vintage gramophone shellac and vinyl plates from various parts of India for purposes of restoration.

AIM has trustees from all over India and is guided by an advisory board comprising of some of the most eminent artistes of the country – filmmaker Shyam Benegal, danseuse Sonal Man Singh, Chinmaya Gharekhan of IGNCA, Bombay Jayashri, Dr. Jayanthi Kumaresh, Pt. Vijay Kichlu, VAK Ranga Rao, Alarmel Valli, Dr. Shyamala G Bhave, Lalith Rao, Nandini Ramani, VAK Ranga Rao, Arundhati Ghosh of IFA, and Bhaskar Mitra of Sangeet Ashram Kolkata.

August 1, 2013