iWorld
Applause Entertainment signs multi-show deal with SonyLIV
MUMBAI: Applause Entertainment has announced a content licensing deal of four premium drama series with SonyLIV, the popular on-demand video streaming service from Sony Pictures Networks India.
SonyLIV has started its gradual rollout of its refreshed SonyLIV 2.0. app with a new visual identity and a distinct user interface that promises a world-class viewing experience. Its premium subscription will start on 20 June, and these new shows of Applause Entertainment are a part of its launch line up and will stream on the platform in the coming months.
In a short span of 12 months, Applause Entertainment successfully released 12 series spanning different genres across multiple platforms.
Applause Entertainment CEO Sameer Nair said, "We are glad to partner with SonyLIV and to be able to contribute to their original content strategy. It aligns well with our philosophy of creating premium content and working with our platform partners to entertain and delight their customers. We hope this slate of four shows is only the start of a long and successful relationship with SonyLIV in our pursuit of creative excellence."
Sony Entertainment Television, Digital Business and Studio Next business head Danish Khan said, “Sony LIV plans to acquire and retain its premium subscribers through a robust line up of Original Content – content that is cerebral and relevant and brings a sense of authenticity, drama and storytelling. We are collaborating with the best storytellers in the industry. Applause Entertainment is one of the most prolific creators of premium series and we are extremely happy to partner with them. We are confident that these shows will entertain & engage the varied audience segments of SonyLIV.”
The four drama series that will have their home at Sony LIV are – Your Honor, Avrodh Undekhi & Scam 1992.
Adapted from the Israeli series Kvodo, Your Honor, is a dark and morally complex thriller, starring the terrific Jimmy Sheirgill along with an ensemble cast of Mita Vashisht, Varun Badola, Yashpal Sharma, Parul Gulati, Suhasini Mulay, Richa Pallod, Kunj Anand, Pulkit Makol, Mahabir Bhullar. The series is directed by E Niwas and is produced for Applause by Sphere Origins.
Avrodh is inspired from the September 2016 Uri attacks and is based on a chapter from Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh’s book India’s Most Fearless. The series features an incredible star cast of Amit Sadh, Neeraj Kabi, Darshan Kumar, Vikram Gokhale, Anant Mahadevan and Madhurima Tuli. The series is directed by Raj Acharya and is produced for Applause by Irada Entertainment.
A startling urban crime thriller set in the heartland, Undekhi brings together a strong cast of Dibyendu Bhattacharya, Surya Sharma, Harsh Chaya, Abhishek Chauhan, Ayn Zoya, Ankur Rathi, Apeksha Porwal and Aanchal Singh. The series is directed by Ashish R. Shukla and is produced for Applause Entertainment by Edgestorm Productions.
Helmed by Hansal Mehta and lead by Pratik Gandhi and Shreya Dhanwanthry, Scam 1992, is a financial crime thriller, adapted from Debashis Basu and Sucheta Dalal’s bestselling book The Scam, based on the true-life story of the Big Bull, Harshad Mehta. The show also stars Satish Kaushik, Anant Mahadevan, Rajat Kapoor, Nikhil Dwivedi, KK Raina and Lalit Parimoo amongst others. The series is produced for Applause by Studio Next.
iWorld
Spotify spotlights Premium with AI DJ and Lossless Audio push
Five week campaign highlights personalisation and high fidelity listening.
MUMBAI: Your playlist just got a promotion and it now comes with a DJ who never sleeps. Spotify is turning up the volume on its Premium proposition, rolling out a new campaign that places product features not just music centre stage.
At the heart of the push are two upgrades: AI DJ and Lossless Audio. Rather than pitching them as add-ons, Spotify positions these as the engines quietly reshaping how people listen, moving the experience from passive playback to something far more intuitive and immersive.
The campaign unfolds through two feature-led films rooted in everyday listening moments. One spot leans into AI DJ as a hyper-personalised curator, adapting in real time to mood, taste and listening patterns essentially turning algorithms into something that feels almost human. The other film zooms in on Lossless Audio, emphasising richer, high-fidelity sound that captures nuances often lost in compressed streaming.
It’s a strategic shift in storytelling. Instead of selling access to content, Spotify is selling how that content feels smarter, sharper, and more tailored to the individual listener.
The rollout is equally expansive. The five-week campaign spans digital video, connected TV, audio, out-of-home, social media and in-app integrations, ensuring visibility across both digital and physical touchpoints. The idea is clear: meet users wherever they are, and remind them that Premium is designed to follow.
There’s also a strong regional layer baked in. With integrations across Tamil and Telugu music, Spotify is leaning into India’s linguistic diversity, acknowledging that personalisation in this market is as much cultural as it is technological.
The broader play is hard to miss. In an increasingly crowded streaming landscape, differentiation is no longer just about catalogue size or pricing. It’s about experience. By foregrounding AI-led curation and high-quality audio, Spotify is betting that the next phase of competition will be won not by what users listen to, but how they listen to it.
And if this campaign is anything to go by, the platform is keen to ensure that every tap of the play button feels a little more like a performance.
