The Indian Music Charts Podcast
The Indian Music Charts Podcast is hosted by music journalist/charts geek Amit Gurbaxani and content marketeer/data nerd Akhila Shankar. On the show, Amit and Akhila use India's music charts as a springboard for a larger discussion on the Indian music business, listener trends and where the industry is heading next. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
Episodes
What does the loss of Spotify’s viral charts mean for India’s music industry?
Last week, Spotify shocked the music industry by discontinuing its Viral Songs chart. In India, it was among the few places that put a spotlight on upcoming music acts, and served as a discovery tool for both listeners and A&Rs. In this episode, we discuss the role the chart played, the possible reasons behind Spotify’s decision and whether it’s good or bad for the Indian music business.
Has BTS’ ‘Arirang’ underperformed in India compared to overseas? ft. K-Pop in India Podcast
Last month witnessed the long-awaited return of BTS with the release of their new album ‘Arirang’. While the comeback effort broke streaming records globally, lead single “Swim”, somewhat surprisingly, did not follow earlier hits such as“Dynamite”, “Butter” and “Permission To Dance” to the No.1 spot in India. The album, meanwhile, debuted at No.2 on Spotify’s chart for the country. For any other i
Why are the charts influencing festival line-ups?
Pre-pandemic, India’s handful of multi-genre music festivals focused on independent musicians in the traditional sense of the term. In the recent past, as the lines between indie and mainstream have blurred, there’s a lot more pop on festival bills, and it seems like programmers are closely watching the charts. On this week’s episode, we talk about why this is happening and the pros and cons of th
Is India going to the world or is the world coming to India?
While we constantly hear about the potential of Indian music to cross over into the rest of the world, what’s relatively less spoken about is how the rest of the world is increasingly trying to cross over into India. From foreign delegations scoping out the scene at conferences to international artists touring at a higher rate than ever before, we discuss where and how this is happening, and most
What are our predictions for 2026?
As is now tradition, our first episode of the New Year is about the trends we’re expecting to see over the next 12 months. We’re predicting that the supposedly distinct segments of Bollywood and independent music will integrate more than ever before, that intra-national collaborations will be more common than international crossovers, and that live tours will increasingly help drive chart success.
Year-End Special: What 2025’s top songs say about the state of our music industry
If it’s December, then there will be a special episode in which we look at the Top 50 songs of the year and discuss the genres, artists, languages and labels that dominated the music charts. We talk about how deep catalogue tracks had a stronger presence than ever before, why it was a relatively better year for female artists, and what the key differences were between Spotify and Apple Music’s lis
How Talwiinder finally made it to the top of the charts
Singer-songwriter Talwiinder has been among the fastest-rising Punjabi pop artists for the past few years, but he’s never had a big solo chart hit – until now. Over the past few months, his social media following has exploded and his streams have risen higher than ever before, with his 2025 single ‘Haseen’ reaching a new peak of No.2. In this week’s episode, we discuss why this is happening, and t
How can an artist use a viral moment to build an IRL fan base? ft. Paresh Pahuja
Over the last five years, there have been several instances of Indian independent artists scoring viral hits. However, rare are the cases in which those acts are able to convert that audience into ticket-buying fans. In this episode, we speak to a singer who has done just that, Paresh Pahuja whose 2022 single ‘Dooron Dooron’ went viral at the start of the year, and is now climbing the charts. He t
Revisit: How did Taylor Swift do what no other international act has done this year?
Welcome to the Indian music charts podcast, a show where we breakdown the hits and allays the trends in the Indian music industry. Taylor Swift’s latest album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ is out and it has….mixed reviews. Hardcore fans and some music publications claim she hits the marks with it while on the other hand short format platforms are filled with reels about how the album doesn’t cut it com
How is it easy for acts to have cross-genre success?
These days, several artists shift between genres and enjoy parallel careers both within and without the film music industry. Some enjoy an equal amount of success in multiple fields, while for others, their pop careers don’t quite match the numbers generated by their soundtrack work. In this episode, we examine why this is the case and if things will change over time. As always, we look at the key
What should artists do when they misstep?
As societal norms evolve and the realms of acceptable behaviour are consistently being redefined, it’s not uncommon for artists to falter. But how should they react when they’re called out? On this week’s episode, we discuss the controversy around Punjabi pop star Guru Randhawa’s music video for his hit “Azul”, how he and those involved in the making of and marketing of the track have responded to
Decoding ‘Saiyaara’s Record-Breaking Success
We’re back after a month-long break to discuss the soundtrack of the summer…err, monsoon – Saiyaara, which has broken a number of chart records. We talk about why it’s taken off the way it has, the good and bad aspects of its success, and what it might mean for the ways film music is marketed. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the su
Half Yearly Special 2025: The year in charts so far
If it’s July, then it’s time for our half-year special in which we look back at the last six months on the charts, and discuss the top genres, languages and labels. We talk about why there have been fewer hits so far in 2025, what got an English-language track to No.1 after almost four years, and how the top tracks on Spotify and Apple Music have been differing more than in the recent past. As alw
What Would An Indian Independent Music Chart Look Like?
Because of the way music is distributed and marketed these days, it’s hard to precisely define what qualifies as ‘indie’. In this episode, we attempt to lay out the degrees of ‘independence’ most releases fall under, imagine what an Indian indie music chart might look like, and discuss how far it would help or harm musicians working outside of the major label ecosystem. As always, we look at the k
How Does A New Artist Land A No.1 These Days? ft.Nikhil Dwivedi
With thousands of tracks being released every week, it’s become increasingly hard for even established acts to score a chart-topping hit. It’s even harder for relatively new artists to make it all the way to No1. There are always exceptions, such as “Finding Her” by upcoming singer/songwriter Kushagra. On this week’s episode, we speak to Nikhil Dwivedi, the founder of EYP Creations—the label and m
What’s going on with the charts right now? Four hot takes
The charts look considerably different from how they did a year ago and on this week’s episode, we’re discussing what’s led to these changes in the form of four hot takes. We talk about what’s behind pop’s recent resurgence, how the catalogue music being streamed is much younger than you would expect, and why a Haryanvi singer has managed to score ten concurrent hits! As always, we look at the key
[Revisit] A case for cross-border collaboration
In a rare occurrence, three of the top five tracks on Spotify’s Weekly Top Songs chart for India are by Pakistani acts: "Jhol” by Annural Khalid and Maanu; “Maand” by Bayaan, Hasan Raheem and Rovalio; and “Pal Pal” by Afusic and AliSoomroMusic. Notably, they've been put out by the three major international labels - Warner, Sony and Universal respectively - with teams in India and MENA. It
Is India’s music industry experiencing a slow down?
According per two recently-published annual gauges of the health of the industry, the IFPI’s Global Music Report and the EY Media & Entertainment report, in 2024, India’s music business didn’t grow as much as it did in 2023. In this episode, we discuss the factors behind the slowdown and why there’s reason to be optimistic about the future. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify We
Just How Far Is Indian Music Being Exported?
Earlier this month, Spotify shared some India-specific data as part of the 2024 edition of Loud & Clear, its annual report that details how and how much artists earn money through streams on the platform. Among the highlights were stats relating to the export of Indian music abroad. On this week’s episode, we discuss and contextualise some of the lists they’ve shared and talk about the potenti
[Revisit] Why fewer international its are charting in India
If you were at Lollapalooza in Mumbai last weekend, and were among the thousands of fans who sang along to Shawn Mendes or Green Day, then you saw for yourself how India has become a major market for concerts and tours by international artists. Why then, despite their huge popularity here, do so few hits by international acts reach our local charts? In this conversation from October 2023, we discu
Are label deals really that bad?
From Chapell Roan’s Grammy acceptance speech to country star Jelly Roll’s viral video, artists seem to be calling out label deals more frequently now than in recent memory. But are they really that bad? Why do rising talents continue to aspire to sign them? Why did they get such a bad rep in the first place? And how are they evolving with the times? These are among the things we discuss on this ep
Why are catalogue hits back at the top of the charts?
In the streaming era, catalogue music - classified as songs that were released over 18 months ago - is doing better than ever before. It’s rare, however, for older tracks to crowd the top of the charts as they are right now. On this week’s episode, we discuss the reasons - both organic and strategic - as to why this is happening. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top So
Three Predictions for 2025
Will this be the year that sees more balanced gender representation among the biggest hits? Which Indian regional languages will grow? And can international artists regain some of the ground they’ve lost? We make educated guesses to provide answers for each of these questions on this episode in which we share how we think the charts will play out in 2025. As always, we look at key movements on the
[Revisit] Coldplay, Diljit and the frenzy for gig tickets - Who is No.1 on the live charts?
With the Coldplay tour being all everyone is talking about this week, we revisit our conversation about India’s live music boom, the scramble for tickets, some of the highest attended international concerts and our predictions for which gig might top it next (did we get it right? You tell us in the poll after you hear the episode!). We will be back with a new episode soon and until then enjoy ‘Col
How An OTT Show Generated A No.1 Hit ft. Shilpa Sharda
It’s rare for a song from a web series to generate a hit of the same magnitude as a Bollywood or major label release. With “Ishq Hai”, the focus track from the third season of the Netflix show Mismatched nearing the top spot, we got Shilpa Sharda, director, Artist Services & Development at Believe, which marketed the music of the series, to tell us about how their unique campaign for the tune
Year-End Special: What 2024 Sounded Like at the Top of the Charts
On this special episode, we crunch data related to the most-streamed songs of the year, and discuss the genres, artists and languages that defined 2024 on the charts. Among the things we talk about are whether the I-Pop hype is real, how catalogue tracks are contributing to plays for film music, and the main differences between the year-end India top 50s on Spotify and Apple Music.
Links mentione
How Did K-Pop Become India’s Fastest-Growing International Genre? Ft. Riddhi Chakraborty
In any given week, hits by K-Pop acts are among the handful of international tracks on the chart. With “APT.” by Rosie and Bruno Mars rising to the top 20, and consequently becoming the highest-ranked non-Indian single on the survey so far this year, we got K-Pop journalist and founder of media agency Bridge Asia, Riddhi Chakraborty, to plot the rise of the genre in our country and discuss why cha
When Will We Be Rid Of Rehashy Remakes?
Three new entries as well as the biggest climber on this week's chart are remakes. Why are they so popular when they rarely improve on the original versions? On this week's episode, we discuss why labels love recreating older hits, whether they're mostly a Hindi film and pop music phenomenon, and how interpolations are a better option than remixes. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotif
Why Are Indian Acts So Obsessed with the Grammys?
The nominations for the 2025 Grammy Awards were announced last week, evoking celebration for some Indian artists and disappointment for others, including those on the charts. This year, it seemed like there were a record number of submissions by Indian acts, several of whom shared 'For Your Consideration' posts on social media and a few of whom even put out ads in US music trade publications. On t
[Revisit] Why EDM acts live draw exceeds their streaming numbers?
In May 2023, "Haath Varti" by KSHMR and MC Stan, the first single from the former's concept album Karam entered Spotify's Weekly Top Songs Chart for India. That week, it was the only EDM track on the survey. This led us to a discussion on why EDM tends to draw more live audiences than it does on streaming. Now that we're into the last two months of the year, when there is a cluster of electronic m
[Revisit] How are album marketing stratgies changing in the age of the single?
Historically, the last quarter of the year tends to be the busiest for new album releases. Earlier, they were timed to capitalise on the festive season. These days, they're more likely to be the result of the culmination of a year full of singles being bundled into an album, or an artist tying a fresh full-length to an upcoming concert tour or festival appearances. Keeping this in mind, we thought
How did Prateek Kuhad crack the Indian charts with an English-language song?
Prateek Kuhad's "Co2" entering the chart marks the rare instance of an English-language track by an Indian artist generating enough streams to reach the top 200. On this week's episode, we discuss why such occurrences are so few and far between, how he managed to do it, and why tunes such as this hit represent a niche within a niche. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top So
Coldplay, Diljit and the Frenzy for Gig Tickets - Who's No.1 on the Live Charts?
With Diljit Dosanjh's 2020 track "Born To Shine" reaching a new peak in the aftermath of his tour announcement, we turn our focus to the country's thriving live music scene to discuss the unprecedented scramble for tickets for shows by acts such as Coldplay and him. We also list out the international concerts with the highest attendance figures so far, and predict who we think mi
How Did Stree 2 Achieve A 100% Strike Rate? ft. Neha Malhotra
The soundtrack to this year's highest-grossing Hindi film so far, horror comedy Stree 2 has accomplished what no other OST has in recent times: each of its four tracks has reached the top ten. In this episode, we speak to Neha Malhotra, assistant general manager - music marketing and audio monetisation at Saregama, about the strategies the label implemented to promote the movie's tunes and
How Did "Big Dawgs" Become India's Big Crossover Hit? ft. Rohan Venkatesh
With "Big Dawgs" by rapper Hanumankind and producer Kalmi entering the charts in over a dozen countries, it's become one of the first Indian releases to cross over internationally. This week, we interview Rohan Venkatesh, the founder of management company Imaginary Frnds whose roster includes both HMK and Kalmi, to talk about the release strategy for the hip-hop smash and how multipl
All About Music Special: Transition from Fan to Fandom (ft. Chaar Diwaari, Natasha Mahtani, Owen Roncon, Dhruvank Vaidya)
On this special episode that was recorded live at the All About Music conference in Mumbai on August 7, 2024, we interview a panel comprising singer and rapper Chaar Diwaari; the head of music and podcasts at Spotify India, Dhruvank Vaidya; artist manager and Swiftie Natasha Mahtani; and chief of business - live events at BookMyShow, Owen Roncon, to understand how fandom is built and monetised, fr
I have a viral hit. What next?
With "Aasa Kooda" spending another week in the top three, Tamil pop singer Sai Abhyankar has done what few other acts have in the recent past: follow-up a viral smash with another bonafide hit. This week, we discuss what he did differently to achieve this, how virality doesn't always convert into chart placements, the mistakes artists often make when trying to replicate their previous success and
How does the current I-Pop wave differ from the '90s Indi-pop era?
With Karan Aujla landing both pop and Bollywood hits on the charts this week, we look at how the recent growth of Indian commercial pop music or I-Pop differs from the 1990s Indi-pop era that preceded it. Among the things we discuss is the way in which the crossover between the pop and Hindi film industries has changed and why the relationship between them is more symbiotic than before. As always,
Half-Yearly Special: Bollywood's big comeback, Pop pops across languages
We're six months into the year, which means it's time for a look at the trends of 2024 so far. Taking a close look at the songs that reached top ten of Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart from the start of January to the end of June, we examine the genres and languages that have dominated the survey. This time around, we look at the top five most streamed songs of the year until date.
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What does it take for an international track to crack the Indian charts? ft. Anand Srinivasan
As 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 c
Why 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
How 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
How 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
How 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 matchi
Why 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
How can an artist leverage a big hit to land another? ft. Vishnu Iyer
With Sanju Rathod's "Gulabi Sadi" scoring this week's highest new entry, we interview Vishnu Iyer, A&R Manager, Artist Services & Development at Believe India, which has been working the track, about why the Marathi pop smash has managed to cross over into the national chart. We discuss the characteristics of the regional language's music industry, and how Rathod capi
How 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
What 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.
How did a Tamil non-film track crack the top ten?
The Tamil music industry is even more dominated by film soundtracks than its Hindi counterpart. That's slowly but surely changing with the surprise success of hits like "Katchi Sera" by Sai Abhyankkar, which has zoomed into the top ten in just its second week on the chart. On this episode, our guest Magesh R., the creative head at Think Music and the A&R lead at Think Music Indie
Where 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 m
What 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
[Revisit] Decoding Anuv Jain's Streaming Success
Anuv 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
Does 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
Five Predictions for 2024
On 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
Year-End Special: The Trends of 2023
We 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.
Decoding Anuv Jain's Streaming Success ft. Aayushman Sinha
On 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 Indi
Why even Bollywood smashes are generating fewer hits
This 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 s
Why "Hass Hass" Has Done What Other International Collabs Haven't
On 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.
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Link to the Hivewire episode men
[Short] Why the #1 isn't always the country's most popular song
In 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
[Short] The Indian Obsession with winning a Grammy
In 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 shar
The 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 S
How Coke Studio Bharat Scored Its Biggest Hit
On this week's episode, we break down the success of "Khalasi", the breakout hit from Coke Studio Bharat, the new avatar of Coke 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 c
The case for cross-border collaboration
During 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 th
[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
Cracking a hit formula ft. Denny
Contrary 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
Why fewer international hits are charting in India
On 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 Song
Are Editorial Playlists Overrated? ft. Arjun Shah
On this week's episode, we pose a somewhat controversial question inspired by a big climber on the charts. We discuss whether musicians and industry professionals expend undue time and effort on getting their songs on editorial playlists, with Arjun Shah, the founder of talent management company Shark & Ink. Shah's enterprise represents Suzonn, a singer/songwriter whose track "Far
Contextualising 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 m
Where 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 impor
Do 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
How A Docu Series Returned An Act To The Top 10
On 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 2
How a Tamil song got to #1
After 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
Why Indian music is more than Bollywood
On 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.
[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.
[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.
Why India desperately needs an official all-genre music chart
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
What 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 "
What'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 fa
Is 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 gen
[Half-year Special] The trends of 2023 so far
This 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.
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