An exclusive distribution agreement has been made between Warner Music and Sky Digital India. Warner’s independent artist and label services division, ADA will handle the distribution of Sky Digital’s repertoire outside India, and Warner Music India will handle distribution within the country. The country’s biggest Punjabi music stars including Jaani, B Praak, Mankirt Aulakh, Sunanda Sharma, Sidhu Moosewala, Gippy Grewal, and Happy Raikoti consider Sky Digital India as their home. Premium Punjabi content-based YouTube channels with more than 15 million subscribers are managed by Sky Digital.
The company has considered releasing than 42 Punjabi labels, two leading mainstream independent Hindi labels, and some top regional labels specializing in two of the fastest-growing regional languages in India after Punjabi which are Haryanvi and Bhojpuri music. The deal can make Warner Music India help to grow Sky Digital’s Market share in India. By establishing a presence for its artists and distributed label content on additional digital music services it is estimated to be at around 1% nationally currently. Managing Director of Warner Music India, Jay Mehta commented that Sky Digital’s artists always had a huge fanbase in India and at the moment the Punjabi music scene is exploding. He claims that they are in a very well position so that they can provide huge music fans both here and around the world. This deal acts as an important segment for the development of Warner Music’s presence in India. Managing Director of Sky Digital India, Gurkaran Dhaliwal, and President of Independent Music and Creator Services, Warner Music, Eliah Seton have also commented on this saying that ADA is proud that they could represent Sky Digital India’s amazing catalog to a worldwide audience.
The roots of modern Punjabi music have begun in 1980. In Bollywood movies, the Bhangra sound was heavily used and thus spreading its popularity across India. There is a blend in other influences from R&B, reggae with Bhangra beats, and hip-hop by the artists from the Punjabi diaspora in countries such as the UK, US, and Canada. Thus, the new initiative has been started this year. People having high hope in this agreement and have thoughts about where it could lead them in the future.
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