• What does it take for an international track to crack the Indian charts? ft. Anand Srinivasan
    Jun 20 2024

    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 charts don't always give the real picture of the popularity of international music here. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on June 14, 2024.

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    30 mins
  • Why are films' OTT releases helping their songs make the charts?
    Jun 4 2024

    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 the future. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on May 31, 2024.

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    22 mins
  • How did Malayalam become Indian music's fastest-growing language?
    May 21 2024

    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 on May 17, 2024.

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    31 mins
  • How do I-Pop labels devise their music streaming strategies?
    May 7 2024

    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 the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on May 3, 2024.

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    34 mins
  • How did Taylor Swift do what no international act has done this year?
    Apr 30 2024

    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 matching it. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on April 26, 2024.

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    34 mins
  • Why hasn’t Bollywood been able to reinvent itself?
    Apr 2 2024

    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 taking risks, and how true evolution is always the result of constant innovation. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated March 28, 2024.

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    33 mins
  • How can an artist leverage a big hit to land another? ft. Vishnu Iyer
    Mar 26 2024

    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 capitalised on the success of his breakthrough smash "Nauvari" to push his new release. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated March 21, 2024.

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    44 mins
  • How are album marketing strategies changing in the age of the single?
    Mar 19 2024

    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 Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated March 14, 2024.

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    32 mins