Bollywood films have always been integral in the success of music in India. The craze for movies is ever strong & the music industry has always revolved around it. In the past, which is still quite true even today, if your song made it into a popular movie, or your music got popular through it, then that means you’ve made it. But digitalisation has made it so that the impact of it has struck the music industry too.
Transition From PVR Screens to Pocket Streams
Music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music have completely changed how we access music. Artists are no longer relying on movies only to get their song introduced to a large crowd. It has been so effective in fact that the number of Indian musicians earning over $5 million through spotify has doubled since its launch.
What’s even more astonishing is that almost 50% of the total revenue is being brought in by international listeners. Our music is being streamed in countries like the U.S., U.K., UAE, and even Italy. This is significant because that means the reliance artists have over movies is reducing overtime, giving them more autonomy over what they produce and where they upload.
Artists as Decision Makers
Independent artists who can compose, release, and promote their music directly through streaming services have begun emerging all over India. And the integrated tools present in these platforms allow artists to access real time data that lets them know who, where, and when they are listening to their music.
Additionally, these streaming services create playlists like “Indie India” and “Top Hindi Hits”, getting featured in them can bring thousands of new listeners instantly.
Distancing From the Grips of Film Studios
With changing times people’s interests have also started to change. Due to the independence that these platforms have brought to the music industry, such as film studios losing control over what song gets made and who sings it, listeners have also started to prefer non-film songs from independent artists.
A great example of this is King’s “Maan Meri Jaan,” a non-film single. It became the most streamed Indian song back in 2023, crossing the number of 275 million. Many platforms even report that about 45-50% of weekly Top 100 songs are non-film. And this doesn’t just stretch to Hindi songs, even non-film regional genres have become popular. Over 90% of the Punjabi music streamings come from independent artists. This has allowed every Indian genre to be accessible nationally and internationally.
Consumer Demands & Challenges that Comes Along
Just like every other industry, this one is also being shaped by consumer behaviour. Based on the metrics provided through these platforms, artists are tailoring their songs towards the listener’s taste and preferences. Songs with shorter intros, genre fusions, attention grabbing hooks, and such.
Some might say that it is a compromise since artists will eventually focus more towards engagement farming rather than using music as a form of expression. In my opinion, it is a bit of a compromise with evolution mixed in. Since the situation presents itself as a form of challenge, forcing artists to experiment with their music and other genres.
New Opportunities, Old Hurdles
But new opportunities also come with new challenges. Hurdles that many artists must still cross that have been plaguing the industry for long:
- Playlist Gatekeeping: Uploading your music is simple, but if an artist wants to get featured in an editorial playlist, then they need recognition of the right people and network.
- Royalty Rates: With streaming growing rapidly every year, the prices for per-stream payouts have also begun to drop rapidly.
- Paid Marketing: Without proper budget for marketing, the possibility of getting spotted can get lost in the unpredictable algorithm.
So while streaming services have decentralised control and provided freedom, it still hasn’t equalised the playing field entirely.
Conclusion
Despite still being stuck with the film industry, where listeners are still dominated by chosen songs, singers have at least stopped waiting for their phones to buzz. Instead they have started making their own opportunities by building their following, new genres, and creating their careers on their own terms.
The major change that music streaming platforms have brought is the ability to choose what gets made, when it gets made, and the definition of success.