MUMBAI: Media major UTV has stepped into the music industry with a label of its own, christened UTV Music.

The label made its launch at a glittering function on Wednesday in Mumbai to mark the music release of UTV Motion Pictures' latest opus, Jodhaa Akbar, the Hrithik Roshan - Aishwarya Rai starrer feature film. The film's music was earlier scheduled to be released by ADAG's Big Music label, but the two entities parted ways last month, citing irreconciliable differences. While Big Music's Kulmeet Makkar told Radioandmusic.com that, "There were difference in the rights and other contract clauses between UTV and us which were not getting resolved on time, hence the window for music release was getting shorter," UTV's executive vice president, marketing, distribution and syndication, Siddarth Roy Kapur says there were certain contractual points that the two companies were not able to agree on, which led to an amicable parting of ways.
"We anyway had plans to launch our own music label, and Jodhaa Akbar happened at a very opportune time," says Kapur, who heads the newly launched music label. UTV has tied up with Sony BMG for the physical distribution, broadcasting and publishing rights of the music it will release. UTV will retain rights to exploit the digital rights of the releases.

The UTV music label strategy seems straightforward, as of now. There will be no outside acquisitions or exploration of fresh genres or hunting for new artistes. The label will push its own content - all of UTV's forthcoming feature film productions, as well as films for which UTV will be acquiring worldwide distribution rights. Since UTV has not thus far done any forward selling of the music rights of its forthcoming films, most of the music releases should be in the UTV Music kitty. As of now, there are 20 motion pictures that are in the UTV pipeline, which can be tapped by UTV Music.

Bollywood music, consequently, will be the staple of UTV music, on the lines of YRF Films, which releases the music of films it produces.

Kapoor believes that the digital space and rights management will be areas that will be key drivers of revenue in the coming days, and the label will understandably focus on these areas. The label will also work directly with telecom companies, and the company is ready with the system set up for exploiting the digital platform on its own.