The music industry never stops. From new labels to new music, there is always something for listeners to look forward to. Billboard India helps you cut through the noise and pick the essentials you need to know to stay up to date.
1. Dhurandhar: The Revenge, Chaar Diwaari, Sonu Nigam and more under consideration for 2027 Grammys
The voting to decide the nominees for the 2027 Grammys is in full swing. Indian projects in the running across categories include Shashwat Sachdev’s OST Dhurandhar: The Revenge, Rashmeet Kaur’s Parinda, JBABE’s A Little Larger Than The Entire Universe, Parvaaz’s Na Gul Na Gulistan, three songs from Chaar Diwaari’s EP Parvana, and Sonu Nigam with two collaboration tracks, one with Diwaari (“Iss Tarah”) and the other with Celina Sharma (“Centre of Peace”).
These submissions are competing with each other and hundreds of artists in their respective categories to make it to the nominee list which will be announced on November 16.
2. Sonipat’s Dhadkan takes home the winner’s trophy for MTV Hustle Season 5
MTV Hustle Season 5 delivers another rapper to the mainstream with Daksh Pendherkar aka Dhadkan. He won the show after four months of showcasing range – across languages and rapping styles – to join the MTV Hustle winner list of M-Zee Bella, MC Square, Uday, and LashCurry.
3. YouTube Music to now label tracks made with generative AI
In a response to listeners’ demands for transparency about what they are streaming, YouTube Music has rolled out a labelling feature on the player page that tags the song with information about the use of generative AI in its making. The label is a for-your-information feature, it does not mean that the track is demonetised or will be taken down from the platform.
It joins other music streaming services like Deezer, Tidal, Bandcamp, Apple Music, and Spotify in their efforts to regulate the use of generative AI in creating, uploading, distributing, and monetising music.
4. BTS’s comeback album Arirang crosses 5 billion streams on Spotify, 2 billion ahead of all 2026 albums
BTS’s Arirang has crossed five billion streams on Spotify, achieving two milestones at once: of not only becoming the platform’s top streamed album in 2026, but also being 2 billion streams ahead of its closest competitor, Olivia Rodrigo’s You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, which sits at 3.1 billion streams. Arirang was the septet’s first release since their 2025 reunion after two years of being apart for state-mandated military service. Lead single “SWIM” ran up 14 million streams in a day and debuted atop Billboard Hot 100, with album opener “Body To Body” debuting at a close No. 2 globally. The act is in the running for Album of the Year and Artist of the Year among other titles at the MAMA Awards 2026.
5. Warner Music India expands Tamil and Malayalam music catalogue
2026 has seen Zee Music Company, Virgin Music Group and Times Music making catalogue and partnership moves in South India. Next in line is Warner Music India, now doubling down on its 2023 investment in Chennai-based music media company Divo. They have acquired rights to Gemini Music’s expansive Tamil film catalogue as well as filmmaker Gautham Vasudev Menon’s catalogue of film, independent and upcoming releases. Additionally, they have also partnered with Magic Frames for their catalogue of over 500 tracks and new releases. Upcoming releases from Warner Music include Dhanush-starrer OM with music by Sai Abhyankkar, and Oru Startup Kadha with music featuring Paal Dabba.
6. Shah Rukh Khan announces UNIFYD, one-day music festival in UAE with Arijit Singh, Karan Aujla and Sonu Nigam as headliners
Shah Rukh Khan is curating UNIFYD, a new one-day Indian music festival debuting on 20 March 2027 at Etihad Live, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Headlined by Arijit Singh, Karan Aujla and Sonu Nigam (who will play a festival for the first time), it will feature more than 15 artists across stages. Produced by D’YAVOL Live and District, with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Miral, in association with Emirates NBD, the festival will attract audiences from the wide South Asian diaspora in West Asia. Tickets go live exclusively on the District app: Emirates NBD cardholder early access starts 19 October, general sale 20 October.
