iWorld
NHK World TV live on Opera TV store app platform
NEW DELHI: NHK World TV, the 24/7 English-language channel for Japan’s largest broadcaster NHK, is now live on the Opera TV store app platform, enabling viewers to live-stream the station’s huge selection of entertainment content.
From the free NHK World TV app on their connected TVs, audiences can reach news, documentaries, music, cooking programs, fashion trends, technology insights and much more from Japan, Asia and the rest of the globe.
The Opera TV store, by Opera Software, brings viewers a rich variety of HTML5-based apps tailor-made for Smart TV. In addition to NHK World TV, the Opera TV store also offers apps for video, music, games, social media, news and utilities.
“The world truly is flattening when premium regional broadcasters like NHK give viewers anywhere in the world more choice of exciting on-demand content,” said Opera Software TV & Devices senior vice-president Aneesh Rajaram. “NHK is extremely savvy with seeing the potential of early technology trends, and viewers will agree that its app adds even more engaging and entertaining content to the Opera TV Store.”
The Opera TV Store is an HTML5-based app platform that gives users a rich selection of entertaining apps. It has already launched globally on Smart TVs and Blu-ray Disc players from Sony and TCL, and has also been selected by Humax, Hisense and MediaTek.
The Opera ecosystem spans more than just the Opera TV Store, with the Opera browser and Opera Devices SDK powering the web experience on tens of millions of devices, including those made by Sony, Samsung, Philips, TCL, Sharp, Loewe, Boxee, Freesat+, Vestel and Altech.
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.
