iWorld
OTT player HOOQ makes India debut; prices subscription at Rs 199
MUMBAI: Competing with over the top (OTT) players such as Star India’s Hotstar, BoxTV and Big Flix, Asian video-streaming service Hooq has made its Indian debut.
As reported by last month by Indiantelevision.com, the OTT video service from Singtel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Television was looking at expanding in the Asian region by launching in countries like India, Philippines, Indonesia and Thailand.
While Hooq will officially go live in India in June, beta access will be available to select users beginning 27 May.
Hooq’s one-month subscription will cost Rs 199 and consumers will be able to pay using credit card, debit card, cash card, internet banking as well as PayTM.
“We are very excited to bring to Indian consumers the ultimate ad-free video-on-demand service at an amazingly low price. HOOQ will offer India the largest and best catalogue of Hollywood and Indian content of any service available today,” said Hooq CEO Peter Bithos.
Hooq will offer over 15,000 international and local titles to consumers in the country including the likes of Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Pulp Fiction, Nikita, Shield, Friends, Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Chennai Express, Vishwaroopam, and Andaz Apna Apna.
For the local content, the company has partnered with movie studios like Yash raj Films, Sun TV, UTV Disney, Rajshri, Reliance, Shemaroo, and Sri Balaji AP International amongst others. At launch, Hooq plans to offer over 10,000 videos including Bollywood, Tollywood and Kollywood movies along with TV shows.
Hooq users will be able to access their account on five devices at any given point of time and stream content on two devices simultaneously. The ad free Hooq also offers download support for offline viewing. Movies can be streamed for an unlimited amount of time anytime and anywhere.
Hooq is accessible over the web at hooq.tv as well as via official Android and iOS applications.
iWorld
Anirudh Ravichander and Universal Music India join forces to take South India’s sound to the world
The composer behind 13 billion streams launches Albuquerque Records with UMI as its exclusive global partner
MUMBAI: Universal Music India has struck an exclusive partnership with Albuquerque Records, the freshly minted independent label of singer-composer Anirudh Ravichander, in a deal that bets big on South India’s booming pop and hip-hop scene going global.
The arrangement, announced on 17 March, will see Universal Music India handle future pop and hip-hop releases by Anirudh himself, as well as artists signed to the new label. A first release is already in the pipeline for April, featuring Anirudh.
The numbers behind the man are hard to ignore. Debuting in 2012 with the viral sensation “Why This Kolaveri Di”, Anirudh has since clocked over 13 billion audio streams across more than 770 tracks, cementing his position as the No.1 South Indian artist on Spotify by total streams. His fingerprints are all over some of the Tamil film industry’s biggest musical moments, from Hukum and Vaathi Coming to Arabic Kuthu and the A23 Theme.
But Albuquerque Records is a different beast. Built for the non-film space, it is designed to nurture independent talent and champion the next wave of Indian pop voices. “Universal Music India’s leadership in pop and hip-hop made them the natural partner,” said Anirudh. “I’m excited to take independent voices to audiences around the world.”
Universal Music India’s chairman and CEO Devraj Sanyal was equally effusive. “Anirudh represents the future of Indian music, bold, original, and with enormous potential,” he said. “Identifying transformative talent is our superpower, and this partnership reflects that belief.”
Sanujeet Bhujabal, managing director of Universal Music India, framed the deal as more than a distribution play. “Albuquerque Records represents Anirudh’s bold artistic vision in the world of pop and hip-hop,” he said. “True to his legacy of innovation, this partnership is set to establish yet another landmark creative space, this time for the emerging world of iPop and beyond.”
For Universal Music India, the deal deepens a long-running push into South India’s four key language markets: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu. The label already has regional imprints, film partnerships with Maddock Films and Excel Entertainment, and a growing non-film roster. Landing Anirudh, arguably the south’s most bankable music brand, is a statement of intent. South Indian music has the streams. Now it is coming for the world.
