PopIndia, Reservoir Media’s newly launched subsidiary based in Mumbai, has acquired the publishing and master rights to the entire Musicraft Entertainment catalogue.
The deal marks the company's first catalogue deal in India.
Established in 1980, Musicraft represents a unique niche within the Indian music landscape. Referred to as ‘Indie Bollywood’, the music features production styles similar to Bollywood soundtracks while remaining independent of any specific film.
Musicraft’s catalogue features music by artists including Ashok Zakhmi, who has toured across India. Zakhmi’s most popular song, Mast Jawani Teri Mujhko Pagal Kar Gayi Re feat. Tina Parveen, has more than 305 million views on YouTube.
PopIndia is taking over the Musicraft YouTube channel with over three million subscribers. Musicraft’s catalogue also includes Gyasuddin Warsi, Majid Shola, M. Aaga Fankar, Usman Taj, Kausar Sabri, Anwar Jani, Afsar Azad and Yusuf Azad.
Our strategy in India is focused on long-term value creation, and that starts with investing in catalogues that matter – culturally and commercially
Spek
Aparna Shah, director of Musicraft’s parent company, Tanatan Talkies Music, said: “Over the years, we have proudly built a catalogue that represents the diverse music and listeners of India. We are excited to be partnering with PopIndia to help amplify these songs and bring them to an even broader audience.”
“This marks a major step forward for PopIndia – our first full catalogue acquisition, covering over a thousand recordings that span decades of Indian music,” added Spek (pictured) Reservoir executive vice president of international and emerging markets. “What drew us to Musicraft was the quality and historical range of the repertoire, from commercial pop music to genres like Qawwali that reflect the subcontinent’s deep musical roots.
“Our strategy in India is focused on long-term value creation, and that starts with investing in catalogues that matter – culturally and commercially. We see a growing global appetite for Indian music, and this deal positions us well to meet that demand with credible, well-curated content.”
Photo Credit: Becky Yee
FOLLOW 
