Mumbai: Times Music has announced the acquisition of two leading Indian regional record labels—Symphony Recording Co. and ARC Musicq—marking a major step in its growth strategy. These acquisitions are the company’s first since its strategic partnership with Primary Wave Music in 2023, which fueled significant investments to expand its presence in global music markets.
Symphony Recording Co. has evolved from a retail music store in 1983 to becoming South India’s top devotional music label, boasting a catalog of over 350 audio and 100 video albums. With collaborations from legendary artists like Dr. Balamurali Krishna, Dr. S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, and Chitra, the label dominates the Tamil spiritual music space, with its six YouTube channels amassing nearly 2 billion views and revenue doubling in the last four years.
ARC Musicq, a pioneer in the Kannada music industry since 1985, has played a pivotal role in film soundtracks, folk, and devotional music, contributing to over 75% of A-grade movie OSTs. The label’s four YouTube channels have surpassed 2 billion views, with revenues quadrupling in the last three years.
With devotional music transcending religious and cultural barriers, Times Music strengthens its position as a spiritual music leader in Tamil Nadu while expanding its footprint in Karnataka’s Kannada music market. Streaming investments in the devotional genre have surged by 230% in the last two years, according to Spotify’s Culture Next Report.
Vineet Jain, Managing Director, Times Group, shared, “These acquisitions represent a major milestone in Times Music’s growth and the Times Group’s expansion in the entertainment space.”
Mandar Thakur, CEO, Times Music, added, “Times Music has an array of exciting premium partnerships coming up and we are proud to work with Symphony Music & ARC Musicq catalogues to further their global appeal.”
David Loiterton, Primary Wave Music, noted, “Primary Wave partnered with Times Music because growth in our business will come from emerging markets like India, and there are libraries of legendary music that live in the hearts of local consumers.” He goes on, “These are the first of what we hope will be many more investments in legendary Indian music.”
