![\"Entertainment](\"https:\/\/www.digitalmusicnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Spek-1024x546.jpg\" "\\"Entertainment\\"")
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Reservoir exec Spek, who oversees the operations of Musicraft Entertainment purchaser PopIndia. Photo Credit: Reservoir Media<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Entertainment One month after launching a Mumbai-based subsidiary called PopIndia, Reservoir Media (NASDAQ: RSVR) has officially closed its first catalog deal in India.<\/h2>\n
New York City-headquartered Reservoir today revealed the song-rights purchase, executed via PopIndia and covering the IP of 45-year-old Musicraft Entertainment. According to the involved parties, PopIndia scooped up the \u201centire\u201d catalog at hand, including both \u201cpublishing and master rights.\u201d<\/p>\n
Founded in 1980, Musicraft by Reservoir\u2019s description owns the rights to music with \u201cproduction styles similar to Bollywood soundtracks while remaining independent of any specific film.\u201d<\/p>\n
Regarding genres and artists, the catalog is said to encompass popular Qawwali<\/a> works and releases from the likes of Ashok Zakhmi<\/a>, Gyasuddin Warsi<\/a>, and Usman Taj<\/a>, to name just a few. And per Musicraft itself, its catalog also features projects from regionally prominent comics such as Raju Srivastav<\/a>, who passed away in 2022.<\/p>\n On the financials front, Reservoir opted against disclosing Musicraft\u2019s sale price; the publicly traded buyer\u2019s forthcoming earnings reports may provide insight here.<\/p>\n However, the purchaser did underscore the transaction\u2019s comprehensive nature. Among other things, PopIndia will begin operating the Musicraft YouTube channel, which has racked up 3.3 million subs and nearly 900 million cumulative views.<\/p>\n \u201cThis marks a major step forward for PopIndia \u2014 our first full catalog acquisition, covering over a thousand recordings that span decades of Indian music\u2026 Our strategy in India is focused on long-term value creation, and that starts with investing in catalogs that matter \u2014 culturally and commercially.<\/p>\n \u201cWe see a growing global appetite for Indian music, and this deal positions us well to meet that demand with credible, well-curated content,\u201d proceeded Spek.<\/p>\n Reservoir certainly isn\u2019t alone in looking to cash in on said global appetite. Primary Wave-partnered Times Music<\/a>, Believe<\/a>, Warner Music<\/a>, and Universal Music<\/a> alike are spearheading sizable music investments in the nation; Sony Music yesterday underscored<\/a> plans to wrap \u201cdeliberate acquisitions\u201d specifically in India.<\/p>\n As for the commercial upside of establishing a presence in India \u2013 referring to domestic revenue, that is \u2013 streaming adoption is strong but monetization remains a challenge<\/a>. Some reports have suggested<\/a> that it\u2019ll be a while yet before paid listening catches on at scale.<\/p>\n Bearing the point in mind, Reservoir is billing PopIndia \u201cas a full-service music company focused on signing and developing regional talent and acquiring catalogs.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, the newly minted division is said to act as \u201csub-publisher for global music catalogs within the Indian and South Asian markets,\u201d simultaneously offering \u201cmusic supervision and rights management solutions for regional music.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/section><\/div>\nThe mononymous Spek, who leads PopArabia and is Reservoir\u2019s EVP of international and emerging markets, is at the helm of PopIndia. In a statement, the exec touted the deal as \u201ca major step forward\u201d in the long run.<\/h4>\n