Show overview
The Indian Music Charts Podcast launched in 2022 and has put out 20 episodes in the time since. That works out to roughly 8 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a fortnightly cadence.
Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 11 min and 35 min — with run-times ranging widely across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-language Music show.
The catalogue appears to be on hiatus or wound down — the most recent episode landed 2.8 years ago, with no new episodes in over a year. The busiest year was 2023, with 19 episodes published. Published by Amit Gurbaxani and Akhila Shankar.
From the publisher
The Indian Music Charts Podcast is hosted by music journalist/charts geek Amit Gurbaxani and content marketeer/data nerd Akhila Shankar. On the show, Amit and Akhila use India's music charts as a springboard for a larger discussion on the Indian music business, listener trends and where the industry is heading next. New episodes drop every Tuesday.
Latest Episodes
Why India desperately needs an official all-genre music chart
On this week's episode, which happens to be our season finale, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 21. We discuss the Indian music industry's need for an official all-genre chart similar to the US's Billboard Hot 100, what such a ranking might look like if it were available today, and why labels, artists and assorted stakeholders stand to benefit from its creation. We are shaping season 3 as we speak. If you have ideas or feedback, you can reach out to us at @akhila141 and @amitgurbaxani on Instagram.
What will it take for Indian hip hop to go mainstream?
On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 14 and talk about the making of the week's highest new entry with a special guest. Chaitanya Kataria, the co-founder and CEO of Gully Gang Entertainment, takes us behind the scenes of the composition and release of the highly anticipated DIVINE-Sidhu Moosewala collaboration \"Chorni\", and tells us what he believes it will take for Indian hip-hop to become as popular as Bollywood music.
What\'s the definition of an \'Indian pop star\' in 2023? (ft. Jay Mehta - Managing Director, Warner Music India)
On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on July 7 and discuss what makes a pop star in India today, with special guest Jay Mehta, the managing director of Warner Music India. We talk about how two big artists with tracks in the top ten*, King and Darshan Raval,* have shaped their careers, the secrets behind their success and the factors that made Mehta and his team want to sign them.
Is all publicity good publicity?
On this week's episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 30 and talk about whether a controversy can affect a track's success. We discuss the impact of a police complaint against the video for the week's highest new entry and how the consequences of deviating from widely accepted societal norms can vary from region to region and genre to genre. Lastly, we analyse whether saying or doing the wrong thing can still kill a career.
[Half-year Special] The trends of 2023 so far
This week, we present a special episode during which we talk about three major trends we've gleaned from Weekly Top Songs India chart over the past six months. We discuss why Punjabi hip-hop is going strong as the hottest genre of the moment, why no international tracks reached the top ten and whether Bollywood music has truly bounced back.
Should artists share political views?
On this week\'s episode, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 16 and talk about whether artists should publicly express their political viewpoints. We discuss why a controversial post had a relatively small impact for an act behind a big mover in the top ten and explore how the repercussions for being outspoken can vary for musicians working in different genres and segments of the industry. We also touch upon why sometimes it\'s necessary for performers to take a stand.
[Bonus] How can indie acts transition to mainstream stars?
We are taking a break from regular programming this week to revisit the archives. Earlier this year we sat down with Roochay Shukla (Sr. Marketing Manager, Outdustry). On this bonus episode, we dive into the different factors that can help indie artists transition to mainstream stars. Spoiler alert: Playlisting on DSPs is only a small part of the equation. The original episode was published in Jan 2023. You can listen to it here: https://bit.ly/43y323e
Is the term \"non-film music\" a paradox?
On this week's episode, we talk about key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on June 2 and discuss why the term \"non-film\" is problematic. We look at how a prominent new entry on this week's survey exemplifies how \"non-film\" is an inadequate label for a genre that's often closely connected with film music. We also examine why such a name is detrimental to ongoing efforts to build an artist-focused eco-system in the Indian music industry, which has for too long been dependent on the movie business. Finally, we suggested an alternative that actually says what's on the tin
Will Bollywood ever get out of its creative crisis?
We highlight key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on May 26 and discuss why Hindi film directors and music composers need to stop playing safe, what led to this moment and what it would take for film music to find its groove back.
Why EDM acts live draw exceeds their streaming numbers?
On this week\'s episode, we talk about key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on May 19 and discuss why electronic music DJ-producers aren\'t as big on streaming platforms as they are on the touring circuit. We discuss the EDM sub culture\'s unique relationship to live music and what strategies EDM artists adopt to find streaming success.
Do celebrity endorsements help tracks break through?
We highlight key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on May 12. On this week’s discussion - how far a celeb co-sign can boost a song\'s listenership with a deep dive on the Mass Appeal release, ‘Obsessed’ by Riar Saab and Abhijay Sharma.
Do reality TV talent hunts build careers?
On this week\'s episode, we talk about key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart published on May 5, and discuss how much of an impact reality TV talent shows have on participants\' short and long-term success.
Why did the No.1 song go AWOL?
We launch a new season and format where we highlight key movements on Spotify\'s Weekly Top Songs India chart. This week, we discuss the survey published on April 28 and talk about how a case of streaming fraud caused the chart topper to go missing from the rankings for a couple of days.
Do albums make business sense in the age of singles?
In this segment, we discuss whether releasing an album hurts the prospects of its tracks becoming hit singles.
Should there be quotas for homegrown music?
In this segment, we discuss a proposed new law in Canada and its hypothetical implementation in India
Should independent acts sign with labels?
In this segment, we discuss the pros and cons of deals with major labels, many of which have recently launched indie music divisions
Is This Song Really #1?
n this segment, we discuss how sometimes, the chart topper isn't always the most popular song of a country. We also get a short history lesson about the US Billboard Charts and how they work.
How short should a song be?
In this segment, we discuss the trend of songs becoming shorter and whether the length of a track has any impact on its stream count.
To video or not video?
In this segment, we talk about the right release strategy for an artists and the relative merits of dropping an audio and video simultaneously, going audio-first or audio-only.
