Times Music

Times Music is an Indian record label and copyright music-publishing company established in 1998 within The Times Group. Based in Mumbai, the label operates across recorded music, music publishing, film soundtracks, independent music, devotional and spiritual recordings, regional-language releases, electronic dance music, and music-related digital products. Its catalogue spans Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi, Gujarati and other Indian languages, as well as international repertoire licensed for the Indian market. The label was created during a period when India's commercial recorded-music business was strongly concentrated around Bollywood soundtracks and imported international releases. Under the leadership of Arun Arora, then President and Executive Director of The Times of India and Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd., Times Music sought to broaden the market through concept-driven releases. Its early output included the album Tu Hi Tu, followed by releases such as Jalwa: Dance Hungama, Dehajaan, Dil Le Gayee and Jadoo. The company became associated with remix albums, a format that was gaining popularity in India, while also developing catalogues in devotional, spiritual, world and regional music. Times Music has been described as an early Indian participant in independent music, working with artists and groups including Indian Ocean, MIDIval Punditz, Mrigya, Viva, Band of Boys, Zubeen Garg, Karsh Kale, Susheela Raman, Angaraag Mahanta and Kumar Bhabesh. Its regional strategy helped it publish folk, traditional and contemporary music beyond the Hindi mainstream. The label also entered electronic dance music licensing and importing, working with international labels including Black Hole Recordings, Anjunabeats, Hommega and Toco Asia. Releases associated with artists such as Tiësto, Paul van Dyk, ATB, Above & Beyond and Skazi extended its catalogue into global dance music. In 2006, Times Music began licensing and distributing electronic dance music in India and established Times Wellness, later renamed Times Living. The latter broadened the business beyond conventional music through yoga, spirituality, diet, nutrition and fitness content, including albums, DVDs and related products associated with organizations such as the Art of Living Foundation, Brahma Kumaris and Isha Foundation. The company also developed genre-specific mobile applications covering devotional, classical and Bollywood music, reflecting the shift from physical albums toward digital and mobile consumption. In 2007, Times Music launched Junglee Music as an independent film-music label. Junglee Music was created to participate more directly in the commercial soundtrack market and released or published music connected with films including Welcome, Singh Is Kinng, Horn 'Ok' Pleassss, Dasvidaniya, Pink, Dhanak, Begum Jaan, Romeo Akbar Walter, Raja Natwarlal and Haider, alongside titles in several Indian languages. Film music and soundtrack publishing subsequently became an important part of the wider Times Music portfolio. The label has also pursued specialized audio formats. In 2009 it introduced Bhakti Band, described as India's first album using Brainwave Sound Technology, combining devotional or spiritual material with a technology-oriented listening concept. Times Music's catalogue has received recognition through awards and industry honors connected with releases such as Haider, Winds of Samsara, Mumbai Blues, Ananthaal and Indian Ocean's Tandanu. The company also acts as an Indian sub-publisher for international music-publishing businesses including Warner/Chappell Music, Peermusic, Wixen Music, CTM Publishing and Cloud 9 Music Publishing. Public reference material describes a catalogue of more than 48,000 tracks across languages and genres.

Times Music was formed in 1998 as the music business of The Times Group, one of India's major media groups. The label was established under the leadership of Arun Arora, who at the time held senior positions at The Times of India and Times Global Broadcasting Co. Ltd. Its first release was Tu Hi Tu. Early follow-up titles included Jalwa: Dance Hungama, an Indian remix project, the Assamese album Dehajaan, and the releases Dil Le Gayee and Jadoo. The business entered a market dominated by Bollywood soundtracks and international repertoire. Rather than limit itself to film music, Times Music developed themed catalogues in remix, spiritual, devotional and world music. It also published regional, folk, Hindi and traditional material in languages including Telugu, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese and Kannada. This gave the label a broader geographic and linguistic footprint than a Hindi-only soundtrack company. Times Music was associated with independent Indian music from the late 1990s and early 2000s, before the term indie had become firmly established in the country's music business. Its associated artists and groups included Indian Ocean, MIDIval Punditz, Mrigya, Viva, Band of Boys, Zubeen Garg, Karsh Kale, Susheela Raman, Angaraag Mahanta and Kumar Bhabesh. The company also began importing and licensing electronic dance music for India in 2006, entering agreements involving labels such as Black Hole Recordings, Anjunabeats, Hommega and Toco Asia. Its licensed repertoire included releases connected with Tiësto, Paul van Dyk, ATB, Above & Beyond and Skazi. The company expanded into wellness and spirituality through Times Wellness, a division established in 2006 and later renamed Times Living. This division offered yoga, spirituality, diet, nutrition and fitness content, including audio-visual products associated with the Art of Living Foundation, Brahma Kumaris and Isha Foundation. Times Music also pursued mobile distribution and was described as an early record label to create genre-specific music applications for Android and iOS, covering devotional, classical and Bollywood content. In 2007, the company launched Junglee Music to strengthen its participation in commercial film music. The label's soundtrack activity included Hindi titles such as Welcome, Singh Is Kinng, Horn 'Ok' Pleassss, Dasvidaniya, Pink, Dhanak, Begum Jaan, Romeo Akbar Walter, Raja Natwarlal and Haider, along with films in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi and other markets. The initiative complemented Times Music's existing non-film, regional and specialized catalogues. In 2009, Times Music released Bhakti Band, described as the first Indian album to use Brainwave Sound Technology. The project represented the label's continuing interest in combining devotional content with new production or listening concepts. Over time, its catalogue grew to more than 48,000 tracks according to the cited reference material. Times Music also became an Indian sub-publisher for several international publishing companies, including Warner/Chappell Music, Peermusic, Wixen Music, CTM Publishing and Cloud 9 Music Publishing. The label's releases have been connected with national, industry and international recognition. Examples cited in reference material include Ricky Kej's Grammy-winning Winds of Samsara, awards associated with Vishal Bhardwaj's score for Haider, recognition for Mihir Joshi Band's Mumbai Blues, and honors involving Ananthaal and Indian Ocean. These achievements illustrate the breadth of Times Music's catalogue across film, independent, fusion, devotional and contemporary music. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate current chief executive, detailed ownership percentages, or a standalone stock-market listing for Times Music.

• 2009

  Bhakti Band uses Brainwave Sound Technology

  [1]Times Musicen.wikipedia.org

  The label introduced a devotional and spiritual album promoted as India's first Brainwave Sound Technology music album.

• 2007

  Junglee Music launches

  [1]Times Musicen.wikipedia.org

  Times Music launched a dedicated film-music label, beginning with Welcome and subsequently covering multiple Indian-language film markets.

• 2006

  Electronic dance music licensing begins

  [1]Times Musicen.wikipedia.org

  Times Music began importing and licensing electronic dance music for the Indian market through relationships with international EDM labels.

• 2006

  Times Wellness is established

  [1]Times Musicen.wikipedia.org

  The company created Times Wellness, later renamed Times Living, to develop yoga, spirituality, nutrition and fitness content.

• 1998

  Times Music begins operations

  [1]Times Musicen.wikipedia.org

  The label was established under The Times Group and released Tu Hi Tu as its first album.

A diversified Indian music company positioned between mainstream film music, regional and devotional catalogues, independent artists, international licensing and digital music products. Times Music has historically differentiated itself through remix, spiritual, world, regional and electronic music rather than relying exclusively on Bollywood soundtracks.

• Film music label · 2007

  Junglee Music

  Junglee Music is Times Music's film-soundtrack imprint, launched in 2007 to participate more directly in commercial cinema music. Its catalogue includes Hindi films such as Welcome, Singh Is Kinng, Pink, Dhanak, Begum Jaan and Haider, as well as titles from Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese, Punjabi and other language industries.

• Wellness and spirituality content · 2006

  Times Living

  Times Living, previously known as Times Wellness, extends the label into yoga, spirituality, diet, nutrition and physical fitness. Its output has included albums, DVDs and other audio-visual products associated with spiritual and wellness organizations, including the Art of Living Foundation, Brahma Kumaris and Isha Foundation.

• Devotional music

  Devotional and spiritual catalogue

  Times Music developed one of India's early substantial label catalogues in devotional and spiritual music. The range includes traditional and contemporary devotional recordings, specialized projects and releases connected with wellness and spiritual institutions. Bhakti Band represented an attempt to combine devotional material with a technology-oriented listening concept.

• Licensed international dance music · 2006

  Electronic dance music catalogue

  The label's electronic dance music business has included Indian licensing and distribution of releases from international labels such as Black Hole Recordings, Anjunabeats, Hommega and Toco Asia. Associated artists include Tiësto, Paul van Dyk, ATB, Above & Beyond and Skazi.

• Digital music applications

  Genre-based mobile applications

  Times Music created mobile applications organized around genres and use cases including devotional, classical and Bollywood music. The applications were designed for Android and iOS devices and reflected the company's move from physical albums toward mobile and digital distribution.

• 2007

  Create a dedicated film-music imprintStrategy

  Background

  Times Music operated across remix, devotional, regional, independent and licensed international music, while commercial film music remained a major part of India's recorded-music market.

  Action taken

  The company launched Junglee Music as a separate film-music label and began building a soundtrack catalogue across Hindi and other Indian-language cinema.

  Aftermath

  Junglee Music became associated with soundtracks including Welcome, Singh Is Kinng, Pink, Dhanak, Begum Jaan, Haider and other film titles.

  Source

• 2006

  Enter Indian electronic dance music licensingStrategy

  Background

  International electronic dance music was becoming more visible in India's growing recorded-music and club markets.

  Action taken

  Times Music began importing and licensing releases from overseas EDM labels for India.

  Aftermath

  The catalogue included music associated with Black Hole Recordings, Anjunabeats, Hommega, Toco Asia and artists such as Tiësto and Above & Beyond.

  Source

1. 1Times Musicen.wikipedia.org