The Business of Indian Films
Film Music: The Soundtrack Business
Why film songs dominate India's music market, how music labels like T-Series grew, and how streaming changed music rights.
In India, film music makes up a large share of the music market, unlike many countries where independent pop dominates.
Music labels
- T-Series, founded by Gulshan Kumar in the 1980s, grew by selling cheap cassettes and later became one of the world’s most-subscribed YouTube channels.
- Saregama, Sony Music, Zee Music and others.
How labels earn
- Buying music rights from producers before release.
- Streaming revenue from Spotify, JioSaavn, YouTube and others.
- Licensing songs for TV, ads, events and remixes.
- Catalogue value: old songs keep earning for decades.
Songs as marketing
Songs are released before the film to build buzz. A hit song can drive audiences to theatres.
Rising rights prices
As streaming grew, music labels paid higher prices for film music rights, adding a valuable revenue stream for producers.
Independent music
Streaming also helped independent artists grow, gradually reducing film music’s dominance.
A 1970s film song owned by a label is remixed for a new film, used in a TV ad and streamed millions of times, earning royalties decades after its release.
Catalogues earn for decades through streaming and licensing.
- Film music dominates India's music market.
- Labels like T-Series and Saregama buy and exploit rights.
- Songs market films before release.
- Streaming raised music rights values and helped independent artists.
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