A leading YouTube multi-channel network in India, Nirvana Digital has served over one billion minutes of video in the first six months of 2013 on YouTube. Nirvana Digital is the aggregator, producer and distributor of video not just for online platform like Youtube but to other leading online platforms of the world including Apple iTunes, HULU, Amazon and more.

Currently, Nirvana’s musical channels have received a global response with channels like Bohemia (US), receiving 16 million views. The channel is known for hits like Ek Tera Pyar(4 million views). Another channel, BilzMusic (Canada), has received over 18 million views. It is known for hits like Tera Nasha (4 million views), while Devika (US / India), a channel dedicated to the Indie artist Devika has notched up over 1 million views.

In a conversation with Radioandmusic.com, Nirvana Digital founder and director Pinakin Thakkar shares his view on growth of digital in India and the challenge of creating awareness about their services among Indian clients.

Excerpts:

What is the role of YouTube today for digital platform like yours?

YouTube is an important distribution channel for us as it is the leading video eco-system in the world and is easily accessible from various devices including your desktop, mobile phone, gaming console, tablets and so on. It provides a global reach to any video content that is uploaded on it. Our network channels on YouTube have a subscriber base of over 5 lakh subscribers whom we can direct to new video content – be it music videos, movies, TV shows or comedy. This way, the new content is noticed by this existing audience and has the potential to earn revenue almost immediately.

How you plan to monetize the YouTube platform?

Nirvana Digital plans to offer musicians, bands and music labels the ability to start earning revenues from their music content.

Our Nirvana Music Platform offers:

- Ability for singers, bands, musicians, independent artists to earn revenue on YouTube, starting immediately.

- Direction of traffic from other relevant musicians videos so we build a community and grow views for all our music content owners.

- Promotion of collaboration between our network of artists for additional traffic and fan growth.

-Identifying videos uploaded by fans on YouTube, and claiming them so music content owners make revenue from fan uploaded videos.

-A studio setting where bands/artists who don’t have videos can come and record a ‘live video’ to upload on YouTube - this can be a highlight as most bands are looking for this.

-As an added bonus, we will also distribute their music on to iTunes.

Give details of your clients for whom digital has worked well.

We have over a thousand of music tracks that have the ability to push on YouTube. Our artist channels have served over 50 million views; I have highlighted known names and channels below:

ETM International (28 Million Views) is an emerging British record label with branches in New York, London and Dubai. The company was conceived in 2005 with the main aim to become the leading international producer of socially conscious music.

Bohemia (16 Million Views) is Roger David, known worldwide by his stage name Bohemia or Raja is a Pakistani American, Punjabi rapper and a music producer from California.

Bilz Music (18 million views) is a Montreal-based Canadian South Asian urban/pop and electronic musical group made up of two music producers, DJ Vicious (real name Vishal Urva), a Canadian South Indian musician, and Master-D (real name Subir Dev), a Canadian Bengali musician.

Devika (1 Million Views) is an Indian pop singer and songwriter. Devika started vocal music training in New Delhi, India when she was eight years old. She is into pop, indipop and contemporary sufi music.

Overload Riot (200,000 views)  a Pakistani rock band from Lahore, formed in 2003. The group is directed by producer, lead vocalist and drummer, Farhad Humayun and keyboard/synth player, songwriter and composer, Sheraz Siddiq, who were soon joined by Hassan Mohyeddin on percussion along with dhol players Pappu Sain and Jhura Sain.

What is very important for digital services like yours?

Awareness of our platform to help video content owners earn revenues, education of the content owners so that they know what is and what is not monetizable, and transparency to the artists so they know exactly what revenue is being generated on a real time basis.

How challenging is it to deal with ever changing technology?

Its challenging but a great learning experience – being at the cutting edge of digital distribution gives us a chance to review new distribution methods before they hit the market and we can offer new monetization platforms to our network of musicians, bands and music labels.

How challenging in the Indian market?

All markets are different and all markets are challenging. Our challenge in the Indian region has been the lack of awareness of services like ours. The country is brimming with talent and we feel that it’s time for artistes to know that traditional physical sales are not the only way to become popular or monetize your talent – take PSY for example or even Honey Singh, they have become stars because of digital distribution.

How effective is digital platform today compared to last few years when it was booming?

In my view, the digital platform is still booming and will continue to meteorically rise over the next few years. More and more content is being consumed on services like YouTube, and with the availability of faster mobile internet and the increased penetration of smart phones and low cost devices, views and usage will continue to skyrocket.

Who are you competitors in India market? How Nirvana digital promises to stand out from the rest?

We believe that the services we are providing are fairly unique to our company.