Podcast · Music

The Indian Music Charts Podcast

by Amit Gurbaxani and Akhila Shankar · English · Music

The Indian Music Charts Podcast is hosted by music journalist/charts geek Amit Gurbaxani and content marketeer/data nerd Akhila Shankar. On the show, Amit and Akhila use India's music charts as a springboard for a larger discussion on the Indian music business, listener trends and where the industry

New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 33 min
Latest: 28 Jul 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

28 Jul 2026 · 25 min

How sequels are driving streams of the originals’ hits

Every time a song from a sequel to a hit Bollywood film is released, it draws intense--and often--unfavourable comparisons to the original's tunes. More recently, these sequels’ new and remixed songs are also drawing listeners back to the older tracks and returning the classics to the charts. In this episode, we show evidence of this relatively new trend, examine why it’s happening, and what it says about the current state of Hindi movie music and the economics of industry as a whole.

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Earlier episodes 28 most recent

1 Jul 2026 · 30 min

How can we shake up stagnant charts?

The charts have been unusually static this year so far. The big hits have been sticking around for several months while catalogue tracks are increasingly making their way into the top ten, leaving little room for newer music to break through. Should India then follow Australia with a chart that only showcases frontline releases? In this episode, we discuss why there might be a need for such a chart, what other countries have done to fix the issue, how open our music industry would be to such a survey, and more
19 May 2026 · 30 min

What does the loss of Spotify’s viral charts mean for India’s music industry?

Last week, Spotify shocked the music industry by discontinuing its Viral Songs chart. In India, it was among the few places that put a spotlight on upcoming music acts, and served as a discovery tool for both listeners and A&Rs. In this episode, we discuss the role the chart played, the possible reasons behind Spotify’s decision and whether it’s good or bad for the Indian music business.
14 Apr 2026 · 33 min

Has BTS’ ‘Arirang’ underperformed in India compared to overseas? ft. K-Pop in India Podcast

Last month witnessed the long-awaited return of BTS with the release of their new album ‘Arirang’. While the comeback effort broke streaming records globally, lead single “Swim”, somewhat surprisingly, did not follow earlier hits such as“Dynamite”, “Butter” and “Permission To Dance” to the No.1 spot in India. The album, meanwhile, debuted at No.2 on Spotify’s chart for the country. For any other international release, that would be a remarkable achievement but given BTS’s chart history, it feels like the LP has underperformed here. How far is this true? And what are the reasons for it? On…
10 Mar 2026 · 26 min

Why are the charts influencing festival line-ups?

Pre-pandemic, India’s handful of multi-genre music festivals focused on independent musicians in the traditional sense of the term. In the recent past, as the lines between indie and mainstream have blurred, there’s a lot more pop on festival bills, and it seems like programmers are closely watching the charts. On this week’s episode, we talk about why this is happening and the pros and cons of the trend.
10 Feb 2026 · 33 min

Is India going to the world or is the world coming to India?

While we constantly hear about the potential of Indian music to cross over into the rest of the world, what’s relatively less spoken about is how the rest of the world is increasingly trying to cross over into India. From foreign delegations scoping out the scene at conferences to international artists touring at a higher rate than ever before, we discuss where and how this is happening, and most importantly, why. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated February 5, 2025.
13 Jan 2026 · 34 min

What are our predictions for 2026?

As is now tradition, our first episode of the New Year is about the trends we’re expecting to see over the next 12 months. We’re predicting that the supposedly distinct segments of Bollywood and independent music will integrate more than ever before, that intra-national collaborations will be more common than international crossovers, and that live tours will increasingly help drive chart success. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on January 9, 2025.
16 Dec 2025 · 39 min

Year-End Special: What 2025’s top songs say about the state of our music industry

If it’s December, then there will be a special episode in which we look at the Top 50 songs of the year and discuss the genres, artists, languages and labels that dominated the music charts. We talk about how deep catalogue tracks had a stronger presence than ever before, why it was a relatively better year for female artists, and what the key differences were between Spotify and Apple Music’s list of their most-streamed tunes of 2025.
18 Nov 2025 · 29 min

How Talwiinder finally made it to the top of the charts

Singer-songwriter Talwiinder has been among the fastest-rising Punjabi pop artists for the past few years, but he’s never had a big solo chart hit – until now. Over the past few months, his social media following has exploded and his streams have risen higher than ever before, with his 2025 single ‘Haseen’ reaching a new peak of No.2. In this week’s episode, we discuss why this is happening, and the takeaways for other artists from how he has modelled and marketed his career. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated…
28 Oct 2025 · 33 min

How can an artist use a viral moment to build an IRL fan base? ft. Paresh Pahuja

Over the last five years, there have been several instances of Indian independent artists scoring viral hits. However, rare are the cases in which those acts are able to convert that audience into ticket-buying fans. In this episode, we speak to a singer who has done just that, Paresh Pahuja whose 2022 single ‘Dooron Dooron’ went viral at the start of the year, and is now climbing the charts. He tells us how he went about it, and the advice he has for fellow artists who might find themselves in the same situation as him. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs…
7 Oct 2025 · 33 min

Revisit: How did Taylor Swift do what no other international act has done this year?

Welcome to the Indian music charts podcast, a show where we breakdown the hits and allays the trends in the Indian music industry. Taylor Swift’s latest album ‘The Life of a Showgirl’ is out and it has….mixed reviews. Hardcore fans and some music publications claim she hits the marks with it while on the other hand short format platforms are filled with reels about how the album doesn’t cut it compared to previous works with some claiming ‘she is too happy’ to produce the kind of music she has historically been known for. Whatever side of the argument you fall on, you can’t deny that Taylor…
23 Sep 2025 · 39 min

How is it easy for acts to have cross-genre success?

These days, several artists shift between genres and enjoy parallel careers both within and without the film music industry. Some enjoy an equal amount of success in multiple fields, while for others, their pop careers don’t quite match the numbers generated by their soundtrack work. In this episode, we examine why this is the case and if things will change over time. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated September 18, 2025.
2 Sep 2025 · 32 min

What should artists do when they misstep?

As societal norms evolve and the realms of acceptable behaviour are consistently being redefined, it’s not uncommon for artists to falter. But how should they react when they’re called out? On this week’s episode, we discuss the controversy around Punjabi pop star Guru Randhawa’s music video for his hit “Azul”, how he and those involved in the making of and marketing of the track have responded to it, and how such missteps could and should be dealt with. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on August 29, 2025.
19 Aug 2025 · 36 min

Decoding ‘Saiyaara’s Record-Breaking Success

We’re back after a month-long break to discuss the soundtrack of the summer…err, monsoon – Saiyaara , which has broken a number of chart records. We talk about why it’s taken off the way it has, the good and bad aspects of its success, and what it might mean for the ways film music is marketed. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey dated August 14, 2025.
1 Jul 2025 · 45 min

Half Yearly Special 2025: The year in charts so far

If it’s July, then it’s time for our half-year special in which we look back at the last six months on the charts, and discuss the top genres, languages and labels. We talk about why there have been fewer hits so far in 2025, what got an English-language track to No.1 after almost four years, and how the top tracks on Spotify and Apple Music have been differing more than in the recent past. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on June 27, 2025. Resources mentioned in the episode:…
17 Jun 2025 · 34 min

What Would An Indian Independent Music Chart Look Like?

Because of the way music is distributed and marketed these days, it’s hard to precisely define what qualifies as ‘indie’. In this episode, we attempt to lay out the degrees of ‘independence’ most releases fall under, imagine what an Indian indie music chart might look like, and discuss how far it would help or harm musicians working outside of the major label ecosystem. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on June 13, 2025.
20 May 2025 · 38 min

How Does A New Artist Land A No.1 These Days? ft.Nikhil Dwivedi

With thousands of tracks being released every week, it’s become increasingly hard for even established acts to score a chart-topping hit. It’s even harder for relatively new artists to make it all the way to No1. There are always exceptions, such as “Finding Her” by upcoming singer/songwriter Kushagra. On this week’s episode, we speak to Nikhil Dwivedi, the founder of EYP Creations—the label and management company behind the smash—to find out what it takes. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on May 16, 2025.
29 Apr 2025 · 41 min

What’s going on with the charts right now? Four hot takes

The charts look considerably different from how they did a year ago and on this week’s episode, we’re discussing what’s led to these changes in the form of four hot takes. We talk about what’s behind pop’s recent resurgence, how the catalogue music being streamed is much younger than you would expect, and why a Haryanvi singer has managed to score ten concurrent hits! As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on April 24, 2025.
22 Apr 2025 · 28 min

[Revisit] A case for cross-border collaboration

In a rare occurrence, three of the top five tracks on Spotify’s Weekly Top Songs chart for India are by Pakistani acts: "Jhol” by Annural Khalid and Maanu; “Maand” by Bayaan, Hasan Raheem and Rovalio; and “Pal Pal” by Afusic and AliSoomroMusic. Notably, they've been put out by the three major international labels - Warner, Sony and Universal respectively - with teams in India and MENA. It's a good time therefore to revisit the episode we published in 2023, which made a case for cross-border collaboration. Happy listening!
8 Apr 2025 · 37 min

Is India’s music industry experiencing a slow down?

According per two recently-published annual gauges of the health of the industry, the IFPI’s Global Music Report and the EY Media & Entertainment report, in 2024, India’s music business didn’t grow as much as it did in 2023. In this episode, we discuss the factors behind the slowdown and why there’s reason to be optimistic about the future. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on April 4, 2025. ——- Vote for The Indian Music Charts Podcast in the Art & Entertainment category for the HT Smartcast Awards:…
25 Mar 2025 · 29 min

Just How Far Is Indian Music Being Exported?

Earlier this month, Spotify shared some India-specific data as part of the 2024 edition of Loud & Clear, its annual report that details how and how much artists earn money through streams on the platform. Among the highlights were stats relating to the export of Indian music abroad. On this week’s episode, we discuss and contextualise some of the lists they’ve shared and talk about the potential for local artists to expand their international audience. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on March 20, 2025.…
18 Mar 2025 · 30 min

[Revisit] Why fewer international its are charting in India

If you were at Lollapalooza in Mumbai last weekend, and were among the thousands of fans who sang along to Shawn Mendes or Green Day, then you saw for yourself how India has become a major market for concerts and tours by international artists. Why then, despite their huge popularity here, do so few hits by international acts reach our local charts? In this conversation from October 2023, we discuss exactly this. Happy listening!
25 Feb 2025 · 41 min

Are label deals really that bad?

From Chapell Roan’s Grammy acceptance speech to country star Jelly Roll’s viral video, artists seem to be calling out label deals more frequently now than in recent memory. But are they really that bad? Why do rising talents continue to aspire to sign them? Why did they get such a bad rep in the first place? And how are they evolving with the times? These are among the things we discuss on this episode in which we also talk about the different types of offers out there and the career stage at which we believe an independent act should consider taking them. As always, we look at the key…
11 Feb 2025 · 28 min

Why are catalogue hits back at the top of the charts?

In the streaming era, catalogue music - classified as songs that were released over 18 months ago - is doing better than ever before. It’s rare, however, for older tracks to crowd the top of the charts as they are right now. On this week’s episode, we discuss the reasons - both organic and strategic - as to why this is happening. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on February 7, 2025.
28 Jan 2025 · 32 min

Three Predictions for 2025

Will this be the year that sees more balanced gender representation among the biggest hits? Which Indian regional languages will grow? And can international artists regain some of the ground they’ve lost? We make educated guesses to provide answers for each of these questions on this episode in which we share how we think the charts will play out in 2025. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on January 24, 2025.
21 Jan 2025 · 42 min

[Revisit] Coldplay, Diljit and the frenzy for gig tickets - Who is No.1 on the live charts?

With the Coldplay tour being all everyone is talking about this week, we revisit our conversation about India’s live music boom, the scramble for tickets, some of the highest attended international concerts and our predictions for which gig might top it next (did we get it right? You tell us in the poll after you hear the episode!). We will be back with a new episode soon and until then enjoy ‘Coldplay,Diljit and the frenzy for gigs. PS: Our tally/discussion does not include electronic music gigs. We've used publicly available attendee numbers of live music events
7 Jan 2025 · 33 min

How An OTT Show Generated A No.1 Hit ft. Shilpa Sharda

It’s rare for a song from a web series to generate a hit of the same magnitude as a Bollywood or major label release. With “Ishq Hai”, the focus track from the third season of the Netflix show Mismatched nearing the top spot, we got Shilpa Sharda, director, Artist Services & Development at Believe , which marketed the music of the series, to tell us about how their unique campaign for the tune helped turn it into a smash. As always, we look at the key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on January 3, 2025. ----- Shout out to Soham…
17 Dec 2024 · 32 min

Year-End Special: What 2024 Sounded Like at the Top of the Charts

On this special episode, we crunch data related to the most-streamed songs of the year, and discuss the genres, artists and languages that defined 2024 on the charts. Among the things we talk about are whether the I-Pop hype is real, how catalogue tracks are contributing to plays for film music, and the main differences between the year-end India top 50s on Spotify and Apple Music. Links mentioned in the episode: ttps://www.hollywoodreporterindia.com/features/columns/bollywood-music-in-2024-the-hits-that-ruled-playlists…
3 Dec 2024 · 46 min

How Did K-Pop Become India’s Fastest-Growing International Genre? Ft. Riddhi Chakraborty

In any given week, hits by K-Pop acts are among the handful of international tracks on the chart. With “APT.” by Rosie and Bruno Mars rising to the top 20, and consequently becoming the highest-ranked non-Indian single on the survey so far this year, we got K-Pop journalist and founder of media agency Bridge Asia, Riddhi Chakraborty, to plot the rise of the genre in our country and discuss why chart rankings are so important to its artists’ fandoms. As always, we look at key movements on the Spotify Weekly Top Songs India chart, this time for the survey published on November 29, 2024.

About The Indian Music Charts Podcast

The Indian Music Charts Podcast is a English music podcast from Amit Gurbaxani and Akhila Shankar. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Amit Gurbaxani and Akhila Shankar
Language: English
Category: Music
New episodes: Monthly
Typical length: 33 min
Latest episode: 28 Jul 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1680003530
Website: podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/akhila-shankar
Rights: Amit Gurbaxani and Akhila Shankar

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