This is the one question that everyone has been quizzing me about a lot. So I decided to write a bit before anyone out here wants to shoot any questions. Essentially till the past decade India was never an attractive market for international bands who wanted to come and perform LIVE here. Except for of course the hugely popular ones like Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams, Shakira, Beyonce and so on. I think every manager ought to ask himself these questions before deciding on India. 1. Is India now ready for LIVE music? 2. What sort of music does well in the LIVE market in India? 3. Is my band ready for it? 4. India is such a huge market. With such diversity and complexities where do I start with? 5. Who are the right people in India I should connect with? 6. What should be my realistic expectations of the outcome of my first tour in India? 7. While in India can I make the most of my time by trying to get a piece of the Bollywood market? 8. How pro or against is the Indian govt and their policies towards International bands' performances? Guys let me know if you are convinced of these questions and I will come up with their answers very soon. Waiting for the group to respond and say "Go ahead answer these questions" or say "Bull shit I know the answers to all of that - Answer this ------" So if you have a specific question, please feel free to ask the same and I will try my best to answer that one. Look forward mates.

Sudhir, I think those are questions that I'd like answered. But I'd like to find out how to get some initial penetration into the Indian market through sales and radio. PRIOR to a tour. While it's true that tours can help support music sales, I think a blind flyer at an Indian tour without at least some prior penetration probably isn't going to accomplish much.

Sudhir, I think those are questions that I'd like answered. But I'd like to find out how to get some initial penetration into the Indian market through sales and radio. PRIOR to a tour. While it's true that tours can help support music sales, I think a blind flyer at an Indian tour without at least some prior penetration probably isn't going to accomplish much.

Hey Trebor, You are right. You definitely need a lot of exposure in the Indian market before you decide to come for a tour. You need to test the waters first. Before we proceed to address the question on publicity on the radio channels, we must take a step back and address the question on the genre of music you intend to publicise in India and the tour circuit (geographical locations) your band will be covering in India. Typically most radio stations (there are a few popular ones that reach the masses) in India have an affinity towards popular international music. But that in no way should deter you from getting in touch with them. A good contact point is submissions through their websites and participating in the various contests they hold. In most cases if you are approaching the Indian market for the first time, most radio stations will check for the no of views your youtube page has got over a period of 6 months to 1 year. An easier and inexpensive way is to hire a consultant who will be able to push your songs to the particular radio station. Most of them can put together a package for you comprising of Radio + Press + Online publicity guaranteeing a fixed number of exposures per month and giving you appropriate reports for the same. Costs should range in between 2000 to 3000 Euros per year. Or you could negotiate it to 200 to 300 Euros per exposure. That way you have a better control and flexibility over the exposure desired. In terms of SALES you might want to tie up with an Indian partner who can pitch your catalogue / artists to a record company to release physical CDs. As for digital if you are distributing through any of the big guys out there like Orchard, IODA or Believe it will certainly percolate the Indian webstores. Do let me know if you are hungry for more information and I will be glad to respond to all your queries.

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