Play List

Apart from a few portals like http://www.soundbuzz.com that operates in South-east Asia,the lack of a good online music store is a major gap in the e-commerce industry. Bollywood production houses like Yash Raj Films have started their own digital library,but only for their own home productions. Often,the music formats available with these portals are not compatible with phones and PCs. Neeraj Roy,MD,Hungama Digital Media,says Artistaloud is geared to address that problem. “We have exclusive mobile and digital rights for over 80 percent of all entertainment

content being produced in India. So the consumer will have access to a wide network,including international mainstream music. As for the artistes,each one on board retains the publishing rights of their compositions,” he says.

Expectedly,Scott is not the only one to have joined Artistaloud. About 30 musicians from different genres,including fusion,pop,alternative rock and Bollywood pop have registered with the portal,which was launched last month and are putting up their hitherto unreleased work. The list includes prominent names like music composer Jatin Pandit,playback singers Abhijeet,Hema Sardesai,pop singers Shibani Kashyap,Mukul Deora,Suneeta Rao,Ali Azmat,rock bands Thermal and a Quarter,Parikrama and several others. Each artist has three to four tracks up on the portal already. “Most people don’t invest in CDs these days since downloading music,whether legally or illegally,is so easy. It makes sense to make your music available digitally because it reaches a wider audience base,” says singer and guitarist Bruce Lee of the Bangalore-based band Thermal and a Quarter.

On the portal,the consumer gets a minute-long sample of each song. Depending on their choice they can either opt for a single download at Rs 10 or a value-pack of four songs at Rs 20. The songs are available on an MP3 format for both PCs and mobile devices. Also,unlike iTunes,a single portal,this one provides a global distribution opportunity that includes iTunes and other international sites. “It is targeted at independent artists of all genres,languages and calibre,that makes it a first of its kind,” says Roy.

So will such initiatives help cut down music piracy? Difficult,says Scott,and Lee agrees. Says Scott,“You can’t change people’s morals. But we are hoping that the comfort factor and the low pricing will motivate people to buy the music.”