Music and Youth
Sony Music wants listeners to pay for SRK & Anushka’s ‘Phurrr’
MUMBAI: In a landmark move, Sony Music India has taken what is potentially its biggest track this year and put it behind a limited-time paywall. Therefore, to be the first one to listen to Pritam & Diplo’s Phurrr featuring superstar Shah Rukh Khan & the gorgeous Anushka Sharma, listeners will have to pay!
Another massive step in the direction is that a sample video unit of the song will release on YouTube along with the audio on 3 August however the full song, much later.
A first in the music industry, this one step by Sony Music India promises to be the change agent for the Indian Music Industry.
Commenting on the same Shridhar Subramaniam, President – Sony Music Entertainment – India and Middle East says, “The concept of ‘everything-free’ will change or rather needs to change to an ecosystem where some things will be free and other things will be paid. The reason ‘Phurrr’ was chosen is because it is the biggest project of the year with an international collaboration so we felt that if we are taking this step then we must do it with a very big song. We needed a big project with a must-listen song that had so much anticipation.”
He further added, “We’re inserting a paid window in the music business which didn’t exist prior to this.”
This means that any consumer / listener who wants to access the song first will now have to pay for the same. This bold decision comes after much deliberation with key partners and stake holders including audio streaming platforms such as Saavn, Gaana, Hungama as well as the producer of the film Red Chillies Entertainment. The stakeholders do seem to be supportive of the decision, Shridhar says, “At the end of the day, it is the health of the music industry and the health of the platforms that are at stake and this decision directly benefits the health of the creators. They will definitely be in for this. While also for us Red Chillies, Shah Rukh Khan and Pritam embraced this idea whole heartedly.”
What Sony Music India is doing with Phurrr is essentially warming up listeners to pay to access the latest music, via subscriptions. The label promises to follow this through with other tracks going forward.
This is one small step for India and a first for an Indian song and hopefully a move for the better for the Music Industry.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
