No matter what one may say, Indian cinema without music is incomplete. Just imagine if you plucked out songs from films like Mughal-E-Azam or Guide or even Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. It would be a disaster for the overall films. And what is Hindi cinema without films like them?
Probably nothing.
Music plays a pivotal role in storytelling for films and streaming shows, especially in India, where about 70% of music comes from films.
But when we say films we mean traditional theatrical films. We are not counting OTT platforms and their music.
You see, even film making is becoming influenced by OTT platforms. We talked about how screenplays are being written keeping OTT reception in mind.
If OTT platforms are becoming so damn powerful then it is foolish to assume that their eye is not on the music department. Yes, it is.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Heeramandi makes an interesting case study. Despite its success, the show’s music faced challenges. Many music labels were reluctant to pay high prices for its nine classical songs because it was a streaming series, not a theatrical release.
To solve this, Bhansali launched his own music label, which led to the songs being streamed over 200 million times by September. And we all know that the songs became huge hits. Especially Saiyaan Hato Jao and Masoom Dil Hai Mera.
Similarly, Imtiaz Ali’s film Amar Singh Chamkila became a musical sensation. The album became a huge hit as it did not have any bad songs at all. Pippa’s Main Parwana is from the same elite list of musical chartbusters.
While streaming music is growing, it still doesn’t match the scale of film music. For instance, songs from popular shows like Scam 1992 and Four More Shots Please have garnered millions of streams on platforms like Spotify.
OTT platforms like Netflix are helping music talent grow by offering training programs, and creating more chances for people in the industry. Right now, music from streaming shows is still a small part of the Indian music market. However, experts believe it could soon make up 5-10% of the ₹2,400 crore revenue, which would be a big step forward for the industry.
So, the OTT platforms are coming to take over the music part of the industry after already dominating the other aspects.
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