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Tag: Universal Music

  • Universal Music appoints Vinit Thakkar as head of digital

    Universal Music appoints Vinit Thakkar as head of digital

    MUMBAI: Universal Music has appointed Vinit Thakkar as the new head of digital for its business in India.

    Thakkar‘s role as Digital Head of Universal Music will entail consolidating and growing Universal’s Digital business in India and SAARC.

    Prior to joining Universal, Thakkar was with Sony Music as Sr. General Manager handling the P&L responsibility across Digital, Licensing & Publishing businesses.

    Universal Music India and SAARC MD Devraj Sanyal said, “The digital business for UMGI is one of the most critical parts of the music business and I am very pleased to welcome Vinit to the team. Vinit brings with him an exceptionally great & relevant background to the table with his years at Sony, Citi & Titan. I have no doubt in my mind that Vinit will take Universal Music and all its allied future businesses to the next level.”

    Thakkar has also worked with companies like Titan and Citibank in sales & marketing functions.

    Thakkar said, “At such a pivotal time for music, where the digital landscape is undergoing a sea change, it’s more important than ever to fully exploit the many opportunities that new digital services and products provide in reaching audiences around the world. I look forward to this new challenge and I am extremely confident of building a robust digital business at Universal Music."

  • Rajshri.com launches pay downloads

    Rajshri.com launches pay downloads

    NEW DELHI: With 10 million video streams across its site in its first month, Rrajshri.com has introduced pay media.

    Viewers are now able to download and own any of the movie content available on the site for their personal consumption, starting last weekend. And coming up is download-for-keeps for their entire music content as well. Prior to this, films could be downloaded on payment but for a limited period of 72 hours.

    “We have ensured that the price points are very aggressive and have chosen to offer downloads without DRM,” Rajshri Media (P) Limited VP sales William D’souza tells indiantelevision.com.

    “Over the past month, we have received huge requests from viewers asking for downloads of the content,” he says, adding, “We are also at the final stage of introducing our ad-supported platform, through which we will soon integrate video ads and rich media banner ads on our site.”

    This has been done at the “constant behest of advertisers, who see www.rajshri.com as an ideal destination to reach out to a global audience interested in Indian entertainment,” says D’Souza.

    Regarding other services on the site, D’souza says they have bagged the famous GaneshaSpeaks Bejan Daruwala’s astro service, and Sanjay Jumaani, numerologist, to provide that genre of content for them.

    “Besides generic advice and predictions, we plan to offer personalised video consultations to consumers worldwide,” he says.

    “The online ad campaign is currently ongoing and our communication will constantly keep changing as we continue to add newer and better features, categories and services to the website,” D’souza adds.

    Asked about the new alliances they are looking at, D’souza said: “The biggest names in the business are working with us. Many more alliances are at an advanced stage of negotiation and will be announced shortly. Some of our current partners include Sony BMG , Universal Music, T-Series, Mattel Toys, B R TV, Saregama HMV, Music Today, Films Division of India, Osho International Foundation, Baba Ramdev and others.”

    However the company has no alliances in the UK as of now. “While we have no alliance with any UK-based company, Rajshri.com has alliances with two US companies: Limelight Networks, the worlds leading content delivery network for digital media; and Brightcove, an internet TV service that empowers video producers and programmers to build broadband businesses while giving viewers more choices and control over their use of video and television,” D’souza clarifies.

  • Universal Music sues content sharing sites Grouper, Bolt

    Universal Music sues content sharing sites Grouper, Bolt

    MUMBAI: The world’s largest recording company, Universal Music Group is charging the operators of two video-sharing Web sites for illegal downloading.

    The company has filed lawsuits against Grouper Networks which operates Grouper.com, and Bolt which runs Bolt.com.

    Grouper.com was recently acquired by Sony Pictures Entertainment for $65 million. Media reports indicate that the suit charges that both grouper and Bolt.com had built traffic by encouraging users to share music videos from its artists without their permission. In one incident, it claimed a video for the Mariah Carey song “Shake it Off” was viewed more than 50,000 times on Grouper without the company’s permission.

    Earlier Universal had threatened to sue YouTube. However later on the two parties signed a deal to distribute music videos. YouTube agreed to pay a small licensing fee for the material and to share associated advertising revenues. Universal says that prior to filing the suit had looked to reach licensing deals with both Grouper and Bolt.

  • MediaCorp Radio launches Chinese FM station on Visual Radio

    MediaCorp Radio launches Chinese FM station on Visual Radio

    MUMBAI: MediaCorp Radio has announced the launch of Singapore’s hit music station Y.E.S. 93.3FM, which is the first Chinese language radio station to be made available on Visual Radio.

    This makes MediaCorp Radio the first broadcaster to launch the service in Chinese.

    Developed by Nokia and offered by Hewlett-Packard (HP), Visual Radio adds a new dimension to FM radio with interactive content and services for mobile radio listeners, increasing listener loyalty for radio station operators while providing an opportunity to increase data services usage for mobile operators., states an official release.

    In conjunction with the launch of Y.E.S. 93.3FM, HP has also integrated M1 as the second mobile operator in Singapore to offer the Visual Radio service to their customers.

    M1 will be offering the Visual Radio service to its customers with Nokia devices with the Visual Radio application. With Visual Radio, M1 customers can access appealing visuals, information and entertainment of what’s playing over the air, check upcoming concert dates, purchase ring tones and other mobile content of the artiste, participate in radio station promotions, polls, contests, and interact with radio DJs and special guests.

    HP first engaged MediaCorp Radio to bring Visual Radio to Singapore and in December 2005, 987FM became the first radio station in Singapore and Asia Pacific to launch the Visual Radio service, adds the official release.

    Y.E.S. 93.3FM is now the second MediaCorp radio station to offer the service. HP continues to improve the mobile content available on Visual Radio by partnering with major record labels such as Sony BMG, EMI, Universal Music and Rock Records, to provide Visual Radio users with the coolest, original mobile artist content to download as they listen to the artist’s songs over radio.