In a landmark move, NH7.in, a platform to discover independent music and leading-edge culture created by Only Much Louder (OML), has partnered with Flipkart.com to create an exclusive section dedicated to independent music on the Flipkart digital music store, Flyte. The store will enable independent artists across the country to sell their music digitally to their fans.
The NH7.in store on Flipkart will be a game changer. Up until now, independent artists had limited avenues to retail their music to the ever-growing fan base for indie music. NH7.in has been one of the largest promoters of indie music both through its site and also through its highly acclaimed annual music festival, the Bacardi NH7 Weekender. The NH7.in community represents the largest group of indie music lovers in the nation. Now, along with promoting independent music, NH7.in creates an avenue for artists to sell music directly to their fans, which is the crucial next step for independent arts to grow. In addition to this, four million monthly users of Flipkart will have access to a wide selection of independent music from India and around the world at their fingertips.
Says Vijay Nair, CEO, Only Much Louder, “For almost a decade, we (OML) have been the most outspoken advocates of fans downloading music for free. Finally, we have a reason to change our stance because Nh7.in on Flyte is a platform which will bring together every independent artist in India across all genres under one platform; and Flipkart has made it easier than searching for the torrent of your favorite neighborhood artist. With this, we are inching closer to the goal of making Indian independent music heard to audiences worldwide. It’s revolutionary in every aspect, and this revolution is DRM free.”
Vishal Dadlani, of Mumbai-based electro rock band Pentagram, whose music will be sold via the store adds, “There’s nothing we want more than to make Pentagram’s music accessible to everyone who wants it. If, in the process, we get paid for it too, that’s even better. Until now, there were no widely accessible, artist-friendly digital platforms in India, with independent music as the primary ‘product’. This is something we’ve needed for a long time!!”
Fans looking to support artists, but plagued by lack of legal avenues to purchase music and often prohibitively expensive MRPs, will now have a way to buy DRM (Digital Rights Management)-free albums and singles of their favourite independent artists. The NH7.in section features artists across genres and languages. The store launches with 50 artists including Indian Ocean, Pentagram, The Raghu Dixit Project, Swarathma, Skyharbor, and will also have new releases from artists across the country. Customers will be able to purchase both albums and singles, and artists will be given the freedom to price their own albums.
Shreyas Srinivasan, co-founder NH7.in, comments on the launch of the new store, “NH7.in is the single largest community of loyal, dedicated fans of Indian independent music. The store not only represents an avenue where fans will be able to purchase music. Both the store on Flipkart and NH7.in will actively promote this music to the ever-growing community of indie fans in India and around the world. While piracy is a big problem for mainstream music, fans of independent music want to support the artists by buying their music. This will be the easiest way to do that!”
Sameer Nigam, VP, Digital, Flipkart adds, “Internationally, music sales are still a viable source of revenue for musicians, mostly due to the availability of various avenues to purchase music, which has been lacking in India. We’re really glad to help create a legal avenue to discover and support such artists on Flyte. We believe this would go a long way in making independent music more mainstream.”
As digital distribution channels continue to evolve, artists who had to contend with labels who put commercial interests ahead of those of the artists can now directly monetize their music. NH7.in aims to provide artists with these tools - from promotion to distribution, and the partnership with Flipkart is the first step in that direction.
To visit the NH7.in store on Flipkart, visit http://www.nh7.in/musicstore