IMAGE: Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra within the track Pardesiya from Param Sundari.

With the music business pushing for progress within the paid subscription section, Common Music India anticipates that the Indian market will mature, doubtlessly changing into a extremely impactful paid marketplace for music over the subsequent 5 years.

“India has roughly 15 million individuals who pay for music, in a rustic that has over a billion and half individuals. What half a cup of espresso prices at this time can purchase you a Spotify or an Apple Music or a YouTube Music, or every other subscription, which may give you 100 per cent authentic and totally licensed paid music,” mentioned Devraj Sanyal, chairman and chief government officer, India and South Asia at Common Music Group.

“It is a matter of time, and I imagine that we’re going to be a extremely impactful paid market within the subsequent 5 years,” added Sanyal, who can also be senior vp, technique, Africa, Center East, and South Asia.

This comes after the Indian music business noticed a drop of two per cent in income in 2024, as digital streamers pushed to disincentivise free music consumption and a fall in streaming royalty charges.

Whereas this led to paid subscriptions rising from 8 million to 10.5 million in 2024, it diminished the general viewers from 185 million to 175 million, in response to a report by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Trade and EY.

With India having round a billion smartphones, SIM playing cards, and the most affordable knowledge on this planet, there’s “monumental headroom and progress alternative” for the business at massive, and in addition by extension to all the companies of Common Music India, Sanyal mentioned.

“India is a massively essential marketplace for us globally. We’re going to make investments closely in all the companies right here, and we’re extraordinarily critical about this market, which is without doubt one of the most enjoyable rising markets within the area,” he emphasised.

 

IMAGE: Rashmika Mandanna and Malika Arora within the track Poison Child from Thamma.

Investments, regardless of measurement, or scale, are usually not going to discourage the corporate from being formidable and adventurous into the longer term, because the music and music-led leisure agency progresses right into a market that may totally embrace the subscription economic system, he added.

Combining all enterprise segments, together with expertise administration, music and types company, merchandising, fandom, movie soundtrack enterprise, impartial and non-film house, regional music, publishing, and distribution companies, it anticipates having double-digit progress within the coming years.

Sanyal added that its music and model vertical, Common Music Group for Manufacturers (UMGB), at present ranks fourth globally, having labored with manufacturers spanning fast-moving client items (FMCG), banking, monetary providers, and insurance coverage (BFSI), in addition to vehicle and telecom.

Moreover, Common Music India re-entered the movie soundtrack section in 2025 after a number of years, signing a long-term partnership with Maddock Movies. Below this partnership, the corporate has already entered mainstream Bollywood with two movies — Sidharth Malhotra starrer Param Sundari and Thamma, part of Maddock Movies’ horror-comedy universe.

“We’re going after strategic long-term relationships and never short-term single movie offers. Aside from the Maddock Movies deal that we introduced in August, we’re about to announce a number of massive, long-term strategic partnerships within the close to future, that are essential for the way forward for Indian storytelling,” he added.

This follows Saregama India’s funding in Bhansali Productions, underneath which, the latter will completely promote all its future movie music to Saregama India. The transfer is anticipated to strengthen Saregama’s presence within the music licensing section.

Pictures curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff