iWorld
One Digital launches ‘Hip Hop Highway’ on Saavn
MUMBAI: In an effort to amplify its efforts in catapulting India’s burgeoning hip hop story, Saavn and One Digital have launched their new audio show, Hip Hop Highway. The show will have 12 episodes, releasing a 25 to 30 minute episode each Wednesday starting from today.
Listeners will hear from Indian artists, promoters, labels, producers, and upcoming talent as they discuss all aspects of the hip hop genre. Mixing in-studio sessions and on-site interviews, listeners can expect an authentic, off-the-cuff conversation on the role desi hip hop has come to play in India’s popular culture.
“With Hip Hop Highway we want to trace the origins of the genre in the country, with artists relating their journeys to the top. What was once deemed a subculture has today successfully become mainstream Indian music and Saavn is delighted to be the first audio streaming service to tell this story,” said Saavn co-founder and executive chairman Paramdeep Singh. “Hip Hop Highway will be incredibly artist centric and give major up-and-coming talent the opportunity to share their craft and stories with Saavn’s growing listenership base. Considering One Digital Entertainment’s extensive work on the hip hop scene, we are happy to partner them on this property”.
Hosted by Raaj Jones, the first episode will feature Indian rapper Raftaar and British-Indian DJ & Radio presenter Bobby Friction.
With Hip Hop Highway, listeners will be privy to a range of conversations, from insights into the evolution of desi hip hop to the international scene, and exclusive unreleased tracks to live performances from their favourite hip hop artists. Week on week, the off-centre yet revolutionary audio show will have various artists including Badshah, Divine and Naezy, among others.
One Digital Entertainment co-founder and COO Gurpreet Singh Bhasin added, “This audio show is novel in more ways than one. Not only is it the first show dedicated to a specific music genre, it is also a step forward in strengthening the original audio content domain in the country. We are delighted to collaborate with Saavn on this as they make for one of the perfect partners, with them being the people behind the best audio entertainment in the industry”.
Unlike other global markets, India’s uniquely film-centric music scene leaves independent artists with little support and limited opportunities to access larger audiences. As part of their larger objective, Saavn teams up with One Digital Entertainment to access the alternative mediums in which desi hip hop artists often make their debut. Choosing to showcase the lives and artistry of India’s hip hop legends is an unconventional method that has worked extremely well for Saavn in the recent past, with programs like AiR (Artists in Residence) and RMX giving non-film musicians both the tools and the global stage required to grow their fan base independent of the Bollywood music scene.
Saavn launched Saavn Originals in April 2016 in a bid to expand their repertoire of content to include a cutting-edge collection of original, long-form audio programs for its worldwide user base.
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
