Warner Music bets high on regional talent, technology, diversified revenue streams in India: Jay Mehta

India’s music industry is entering a new phase of growth, driven by the rise of regional and non-film music, expanding digital consumption, and the growing role of technology in artist discovery and audience development, said Jay Mehta, Managing Director, Recorded Music and Publishing, India & SAARC, Warner Music Group (WMG), a Manhattan-based music and entertainment conglomerate and one of the Big Three in the global music industry alongside Universal Music Group and Sony Music EntertainmentWarner Music India, the Indian arm of WMG, is positioning itself to capitalise on these changes by moving beyond the conventional record-label model and building a broader music and entertainment business spanning recorded music, publishing, distribution, artist services, live entertainment, and strategic partnerships.“India needs to be approached as a multi-market music ecosystem rather than a single market,’’ Mr. Mehta told The Hindu in an exclusive conversation, pointing to the company’s focus on artists with strong cultural connections to their audiences, from established names such as Guru Randhawa and Darshan Raval to emerging regional performers.Its original intellectual property, Maati (an indigenous folk music record label and franchise by WMI), brings together music and artists across Indian languages and cultures, creating opportunities for discovery beyond traditional linguistic and genre boundaries. The objective was to build strong local identities and create pathways for Indian music to reach audiences nationally and internationally, he explained.According to Mr. Mehta, technology and data analytics are becoming central to the company’s strategy. Warner Music India analyses consumption patterns, geography, audience behaviour, catalogue performance, and the pace at which artists and tracks gain traction. These insights inform release strategies, marketing investments, and audience development, while helping identify commercial opportunities in partner labels’ catalogues.The company’s Bengaluru technology hub is expected to strengthen these capabilities by bringing technology and engineering expertise closer to the markets it serves.“We don’t believe Indian music needs to be made less Indian to become global,’’ Mr. Mehta opined. Local teams, data-led audience insights, and Warner Music’s international network can help independent Indian artists build on emerging momentum and reach overseas listeners.Warner Music’s associations with Divo, Tips, Global Music Junction, and EYP bring regional expertise, repertoire, artist relationships, and market access. The company looks for strong local credibility, valuable intellectual property, and opportunities to add capabilities such as global distribution, technology, and artist development.Over the next three years, Mr. Mehta said, more priorities would be placed on deepening regional presence, expanding services for artists and partners, and taking more Indian music to global audiences.However, he observed, monetisation remained a significant industry challenge. While advertising continues to benefit from the scale of free listening, Warner Music sees paid subscriptions as a major growth opportunity. Mr. Mehta noted that 96% of smartphone users listen to music, while the paid subscriber base remained relatively small.He argued that the industry must build a more diversified revenue model encompassing subscriptions, advertising, live performances, brand partnerships, publishing, and other rights, rather than depend on a single source of income.For Warner Music India, Mr. Mehta further said, the long-term ambition was to combine local cultural understanding with global scale, positioning the company as a platform for artists to build sustainable careers.India’s music industry is increasingly shaped by regional-language content, independent artists, and digital distribution, making it a market with substantial audience reach but considerable monetisation headroom. Converting free listeners into paying customers, developing intellectual property beyond film soundtracks, and expanding revenues through live entertainment, publishing, and brand partnerships would be important to building a more sustainable ecosystem for artists and rights holders, he observed.