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Tag: Vodafone Music

  • Universal Music signs deal with `The Art of Living’ to make its repertoire available globally

    Universal Music signs deal with `The Art of Living’ to make its repertoire available globally

    MUMBAI: Universal Music India announced their exclusive association with The Art of Living organization to globally make available it’s audio and video content across categories like Bhajans, Chants, Guided Meditation, Health & Wellness, and Instrumental amongst others. As a part of a multi-phase release plan, Universal Music has just released 51 albums in physical and digital format all over the world except the territory of US.
     
    The content is available across leading music stores and also popular e-commerce portals like Flipkart and Amazon as well as digitally via sites like You tube, Google Play, i-tunes, Hungama. The content is also available on streaming sites like Saavan, Gaana, Wynk, Vodafone Music, Guvera and Beats.
     
    Over the last 30 years The Art Of Living organization has released Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s discourse and music in both Video and Audio formats with the sole purpose of spreading his message to as many people as possible. And now, over 20000 hours of this content will be made available worldwide for the first time through the global presence of the Universal Music Group.
     
    Says Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director, Universal Music Group, South Asia“I am very pleased with this particular association as Sri Sri is someone who is not just a global spiritual leader but an epitome of goodness, kindness and peace at large. His followers and his vast organization stand testament to the fact that alternate thinking can change you, your life and your surroundings and help take you to the next level. We are proud partners in this journey with Gurudev as we aim to take his message across the globe. The Art of Living will continue to influence massive change and we will do our utmost to help deliver this across all local and global platforms.”
     
     
    Commenting on the association, Prasana Prabhu, Trustee, Sri Sri Publications Trust says, “We are extremely happy to be associated with a major record label like the Universal Music Group who will ensure that the message of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar reaches out to a global audience through their large network. With their might, we will be available widely across all digital and physical platforms thus spreading the message of living well and with peace. We look forward to working closely with Universal Music in not just releasing existing content but also in creation of fresh content from `The Art Of Living’ and present it in innovative ways to the world out there”.
     
    Also on the anvil is a prestigious Home Video release next month from Universal Music of a unique symphony – titled “Venunaad” – where 4000 flutists, will simultaneously perform on a gigantic 30,000-ft stage on 12th January, 2015 in Nasik. This performance is under the guiding baton of renowned flutist, Pt. Ronu Mazumdar, while the revered exponent of the instrument, Hariprasad Chaurasia, will be the guest of honor. The symphony is one of two major events to mark the two-day visit of The Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, to Maharashtra.
     
    Founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Art of Living is one of the largest voluntary organizations in the world. Inspired by its founder’s vision of creating a stress-free mind and a violence-free society, the organization is dedicated to creating peace and fostering human values.

     

  • Vodafone Sports: Changing the sports viewing landscape

    Vodafone Sports: Changing the sports viewing landscape

    MUMBAI: What do you get when one of the leading telecom players in the country joins forces with one of the biggest television network? The result is uninterrupted, curated and the best delivery of sports content on the go.

     

    The partnership between Star India and Vodafone India will make available to consumers a first-of-its-kind service that brings the best on track, on court and on field action to feature phones as well as smart phones.

     

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta says: “Sports is something the network truly believes in, and we have put our money where our mouth is time and again.”

     

    Vodafone Sports powered by starsports.com will offer customers premium live and curated in-depth content built around some of the most popular sports in India such as cricket, football, tennis, hockey, golf and motorsport. The portal  (live.vodafone.in/sports) will feature cricket, football and hockey and will cover other major sports like F1, tennis, etc.

     

    Star India head digital Ajit Mohan says: “Since the launch of starsports.com in June 2013, we have witnessed good traction among sports fans and have become the YouTube of sports in India.”

     

    Launched in June 2013, starsports.com has become the go-to destination for following the best of international sports. It has in a way redefined the sports experience through a revolutionary video timeline that is a first of its kind in the world of sports, and allows the viewer to keep track of live sports as well as catch up on games with ease.

     

    The company has also built an advanced technology infrastructure that enables HD quality streaming across multiple devices. It will now bring the power of the proposition to the most important screen in the country – the mobile, for Vodafone consumers.

     

    “The fact that the content available on Vodafone Sports will be generated from starsports.com works well for the network as we will be able to reach the homes where TV sets and internet facility is not easily accessible,” Mohan explains.

     

    Recent studies have shown that there are more mobile handsets in the country than TV sets in homes. With this strategic partnership with Vodafone, Star India has certainly played an ace card. It would now be able to propagate its message of supporting the growth of sports in the nation even better; reaching out to the millions of Vodafone subscribers and delivering live as well as curated content at an economical price.

     

     “Our core business has always been services and after the success of Vodafone Music, we were looking at taking things to a whole new level,” expounds Vodafone CCO Vivek Mathur on the reason for partnering with Star India.

     

    “India in many ways is in the forefront as far as mobile internet consumption is concerned. We are only second to Germany and we truly believe that mobile internet is the future. We were on the lookout for a partner with some terrific content to deliver and we are glad to have found that partner in Star India,” Mathur adds.

     

    As a result of the tie-up with Star, customers using Vodafone Sports will have access to an exhaustive array of legal, unadulterated content at their fingertips, including all the latest news, trivia, scores and results, instant access to live matches, interactive video scorecards, exclusive insight and analysis, columns, photos and wallpapers across sports.

     

    The interactive video scorecard, for example, will allow users to watch the fall of a wicket or replay individual innings highlights for a particular player right from the scorecard, so if you miss a pivotal, game-changing moment in a game, or a match-winning knock, you can replay it at the touch of a button. Apart from live games, customers will also be able to sample additional archived video content, such as the best of M.S. Dhoni’s sixes or Sachin’s straight drives, created from over 10,000 hours of cricket footage.

     

    Gupta says: “Our aim is to change the way sports is perceived in the country. We need to change the mindset of people who feel that sports is a waste of time and resource and will not benefit in anyway. We continue to stay committed to building all sports and the best way to encourage young adults to play sports is to increase the consumption of sports.”

     

    The service will be available exclusively to Vodafone consumers in attractive packages. The ‘Snack Pricing Plan’ will allow consumers to watch a single match for a minimal price of Rs 10 or 20; a curated video clip for Rs 3 or Rs 5 and also give them an opportunity to download wallpapers at as low a price of Rs 3.

     

    The ‘All You Can Eat Plan’ will give the consumer a chance to sign up to enjoy watching a series and the price ranges between Rs 49, Rs 99 and Rs 150. This plan also allows the subscriber to enjoy archival videos of some of the best shots or sixes by a cricketer for Rs 30 or Rs 50 depending on the length of the clips.

     

    And there is also an option to subscribe on a day-to-day and monthly basis at Rs 5 and Rs 150 respectively. Mathur says: “We want to encourage our customers to consume as much of sport as they wish to and thus we have tried to keep the prices very reasonable.”

     

    This is certainly a giant step taken by the Star network in continuing to deliver on its promise of delivering the best in sports, but does it also plan to get its other properties on the digital platform in a big way?. Gupta clarifies: “We do have plans of taking a lot of our other properties on the digital platform in the near future, but currently we are focusing on sports as we as a network truly believe it has struck a chord with the youth of the nation and we will continue to deliver on our promise.”

     

    The road ahead certainly looks very rosy for Indian sports fans and Star Sports as a network is certainly making a statement with such bold moves. Guess it’s time for other broadcasters to wake up and smell the coffee.