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. Luminate reveals three emerging regional breakthrough artists in India
Adrian Sarosi, GM/VP International, Luminate, took an immersive session on consumption trends in the Indian music industry at All About Music on August 26, 2026, in Mumbai. While touching upon the kind of music India is listening to, across genders and demographic, as well as how much of music is India exporting and importing, he also gave key insights into the monetisation opportunity for DSPs in India.
The most exciting takeaway: based on Luminate’s criteria for identifying an emerging artist, Sarosi highlighted three emerging regional breakthrough artists in India – Reble, Kiran Bajwa and Kunwarr. This criteria includes artists with over 10 current tracks in contemporary genres, where 70% of their streams must be in current music. “Fueled by rolling out performances, collaborative collaborations and breakout scenes, these three real artists are showing massive growth and exciting signs for future success,” said Sarosi. Kunwarr’s latest release, “Laapata” has also featured on Billboard India’s No Skip.
2. Lollapalooza India is back
One of the most-anticipated music festivals in India, Lollapalooza announced January 23-24, 2027 as the dates for the next edition. Known for bringing international acts like Linkin Park, Jonas Brothers, Imagine Dragons and Green Day, the festival traditionally announces their lineup post the first round of ticket sales (the early bird sale starts on September 2, 2026). However, rumours are abuzz after Olivia Dean and Red Hot Chili Peppers teased Indian audiences on their Instagram.
3. Spotify launches ‘Premium Early Access’ in India, with Harrdy Sandhu and Badshah’s newest releases
Following Universal Music India’s push to release new music behind a paywall for the first 72 hours, Spotify has launched their ‘Premium Early Access’ programme on August 28. This gives subscribers first access to select tracks for up to three days. The first tracks released as part of this are Harrdy Sandhu’s ‘Stuck on You’ and Badshah and Tulsi Kumar’s ‘Chimna’. Both tracks will have a wide release on August 31. New music from both international and local artists is set to follow this trajectory. The music industry is certainly on tenterhooks to see how this unfolds.
