Six Artists and Podcasters Share Their Journeys Since Spotify’s Launch in India
It’s been three years since Spotify’s launch in India—a change that not only gave listeners a new way to discover music and find podcasts, but also opened the door wider for creators in the country.
Two major elements of Spotify’s impact in India are education and amplification. We’ve held several master classes in India and have helped more than 6,000 local artists share their music and access streaming insights. We’ve also hosted workshops and mentoring programs to assist podcasters with the development and distribution of their shows. In fact, the number of podcasts created on Anchor grew 130 times from the start of 2020 till the end of last year. On the amplification side, we’ve used EQUAL, RADAR, Fresh Finds, and Spotify Singles to help Indian talent gain more visibility at home and abroad—and initiatives such as Sound Up have enabled us to elevate the voices of women podcasters in the country.
“We want creators to thrive on Spotify, and our platform and initiatives are designed with that purpose in mind,” shared Amarjit Batra, Managing Director for Spotify India. “By collaborating closely with the creator community in India, we’ve been able to grow awareness and preference for audio streaming.”
So what have the past three years been like for Indian creators? For the Record sat down with three Indian artists and three Indian podcasters to hear how they’ve found new fans and audiences.
Asees Kaur – Singer
What is your most memorable Spotify moment?
Hands down the Times Square billboard in New York. I was featured twice—first, as an EQUAL artist for “52 Gaj Ka Daman,” and then for Spotify Wrapped since I was the third-most-streamed female artist in India last year.
What’s your favorite thing about Spotify for Artists?
Having access to my own audio streaming analytics and numbers because I know they are real numbers. This helps me connect better with my fans and focus on music they love!
What are some of the ways that you engage with your fans on Spotify?
I definitely share the new songs and playlists that I featured on on my social media and link back to Spotify so my followers are up-to-date on my new releases. I also curate my own playlists with my favorite songs to share with my fans.
What artist(s) would be your dream collaboration?
There are so many. Locally, I would like to collaborate with any regional artist or genres, and internationally, I’d love to work with Taylor Swift and Adele.
Armaan Malik – Singer and Songwriter
What is your most memorable Spotify moment?
I was the first Indian artist to be featured on the Spotify Times Square billboard for my debut English single, “Control.” It was a huge milestone for me and truly a spectacular moment for Indian musicians worldwide.
What’s your favorite thing about Spotify for Artists?
I truly appreciate how in-depth the analytics are. It assists me and my team to navigate our releases strategically. Tools like the Artist Pick and Canvas really help artists push our music in the most effective way. I also love how easy it is to use the app. The user interface is extremely smooth, which is always a plus!
What are some of the ways that you engage with your fans on Spotify?
Personally, I love creating fun, new playlists. It enables me to reach out and engage with my fans in a much closer way. Some of these are discography playlists that allow my listeners to know more about my music across languages and genres, while the other playlists feature songs that I am hooked to currently (not just my own).
What artist(s) would be your dream collaboration?
It’s my dream to collaborate with Charlie Puth, and I would love to do a song with Arijit Singh.
Nikhita Gandhi – Singer, Composer, and Songwriter
How has your career evolved since Spotify’s launch in India?
I think the business of music has become more streamlined. I am better aware of how my music is performing, able to consistently monitor the growth and progress of my art, and even personalize my artist profile almost like Instagram, but for streaming.
What is your most memorable Spotify moment?
I was walking to a recording and stumbled upon a GIANT poster of Badshah and me on Spotify’s spotlight post for “Bad Boy X Bad Girl.” I had no idea that was happening, so it was a crazy-good surprise.
What’s your favorite thing about Spotify for Artists?
There are a few, but the prerelease pitching feature tops that list.
What artist(s) would be your dream collaboration?
I really can’t pick one. I feel blessed to say that many of my dreams have already come true, including launching my career with Rahman Sir (AR Rahman) and the collaboration with Pink Sweat$. Can’t wait to hit more epic milestones!
Yogi & Kabeer – Hosts of Shuddh Desi Gay
How has your career evolved since Spotify’s launch in India?
From consuming music and podcasts on Spotify to actually hosting a Spotify Original podcast, it has been one of the most fulfilling experiences for us personally and professionally. Spotify adds credibility to our voices and gives our messages unmatched amplification.
What is your most memorable Spotify moment?
Both of us have been using the app since its launch in India, so we can never forget the moment when we saw our podcast trending on the charts for the first time. Our listeners took screenshots and shared it on Instagram, and that was truly special.
What are some of the ways that you engage with your fans on Spotify?
Our podcast is called Shuddh Desi Gay (SDG), so the relationship we have with our listeners is one of community. They’re our extended family, so when we created the collaborative playlist, SDG FAM, with five songs, it quickly went up to 55 hours of music, added to by over 50 listeners. Additionally, at the end of the year, Spotify Wrapped showed us how much listeners loved us, and we could share that back with them.
Who are your dream guests for your podcast?
Comedian Ellen DeGenres and Indian filmmaker Karan Johar.
Balaji Patturaj – Host of Naallanaa Murukku – The RJ Balaji Podcast
How has your career evolved since Spotify’s launch in India?
Being a radio jockey for the past 15 years made me realize that I’ve become a better person, and it reflects in whatever I do. Over the years, I’ve been able to easily connect with the radio audiences and today’s internet generation. Through Spotify, I continue to evolve and feel relevant as the younger generation listens to my podcast. It’s a great feeling to be connected with different audiences through different mediums.
What is your most memorable Spotify moment?
This might sound weird, but after every episode I get so many heartwarming messages. Messages from people who lost their dear ones to COVID or texts from somebody who is going through a tough time physically, mentally, or financially—mentioning how a particular episode made them feel better. I feel fortunate that people are able to take so much from our podcast. What I thought to be mere entertainment for 15 minutes turned out to be something more and bigger. Those stories, those life-changing moments and the impact we made, are the most memorable parts of my journey with Spotify.
What’s your favorite thing about working with Spotify?
My favorite thing is to be able to work with the best in business. Best in the business does not just mean how big the brand is, or how well Spotify values creators, but how much they care about the medium. Spotify knows how to handle a podcast, how to promote it, how to take it to the target audience, and how to work with talent. All these things make Spotify’s working environment a really cool one. I always have a good time while discussing show ideas with the Spotify team. They know the medium and they strive to give their best to their listeners.
Who are your dream guests for your podcast?
One person I want to be on my podcast is Tamil superstar Rajinikanth. Apart from his films, his stardom, and his philosophical thoughts, the man has a great life we can all learn so much from. I would like to talk to him about the stories that he hasn’t yet shared with the world. A global guest I would like to have on my show would be Barack Obama. At a time like this where most people have negative opinions on world leaders, Obama is still loved by the majority, and that’s a story worth telling.
Ananthi Iyappan – Host of The Book Show & Rough Note by RJ Ananthi
How has your career evolved since Spotify’s launch in India?
We have more listeners now than ever before, and we regularly receive messages from so many people that they loved our podcast on Spotify. We have been able to reach so many people outside India through Spotify, and I feel so much gratitude for that.
What is your most memorable Spotify moment?
Being signed on as a Spotify Exclusive was very special to me because it took me back to those days when I used to do my podcast inside a cupboard for better acoustics. Spotify is the only audio streaming platform that recognized the effort behind the content I was creating, and they have supported me right from the beginning.
What are some of the ways that you engage with your fans on Spotify?
We redirect our social media followers to Spotify at the end of every episode’s promotion. We also encourage our fans to listen to our episodes even if they don’t have enough time to watch our episodes. We also encourage anyone who comes up with an idea for their own podcast.
Want to learn more about how listeners are streaming podcasts in India? Check some of the top trends we’re seeing in the country.
