Welcome back to another entertainment-packed newsletter. Today, Raghu breaks down some complicated music industry terms. Why should we care? Read on. Then we dive into big releases from the week. Gurinder Gill dropped a new album and Never Have I Ever premiered its final season. Finally, Sid Sriram is taking over the world and we’ve got him on SUBTXT to prove it.

— Rosh

Wait, is this a REMIX?

Your favorite artist hates it when you call their original song a remix, because they used a sample.. (Jeez! How did you not know this!)

Growing up among two cultures, I’ve often heard my parents say, “This [Hindi film] is a copy of this [English film]” or “That [English song] is a copy of that [Tamil song].” Without the right language or industry knowledge, most music listeners and lovers assume that any sampling is a “copy” or a remix. It can be a little confusing, so let me break it down.

What is a “REMIX?”

REMIX (Edit, Mashup, etc.) - A variant of an original recording (as of a song) made by rearranging or adding to the original. For example, if you take Drake’s “Hotline Bling” and mix it up with “Laal Ghagra,” you get this AJ Wavy “Desi Mashup Remix.”

Remixes can be either official or unofficial, and this affects how the remix is allowed to be distributed.

Official remixes are commissioned or approved by the owner of the master record, most often a music label. When they allow other artists to officially remix a piece of work in their catalog, it can benefit them by accumulating more streams and more money with relatively low effort. Example: “Tere Bina – Khanvict Remix”

Unofficial remixes are projects that are neither commissioned nor approved by the original work’s owner. Without that explicit legal permission, they cannot be distributed or sold on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, etc. These remixes usually live on Soundcloud or YouTube, and any generated revenue from the song will be split between the labels who own the master recordings. Example: “Ajnabi Mercy” by Bianca Maieli & Zeemuffin

What is a “Sample?”

SAMPLE - An excerpt from an original recording that is used in a new musical composition, recording, or performance.

An easy example is “Young Shahrukh” by Tesher. The song iconically starts with the hook from the popular Bollywood song “Bole Chudiyan,” but then quickly flips back into an original work with hip hop bass and rap vocals – “I got five hundred dollars in cash in case they don’t take AMEX.” It doesn’t have to be another song even. Beyonce famously sampled a TED Talk on feminism by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in her track “Flawless.”

When you use a “sample” in your music, you need legal permission from the owner of the master recording, a clearance usually granted in exchange for either a lump sum payment or a % of the revenue the song generates.

In Tesher’s case, Young Shahrukh was originally released as a “remix” on Soundcloud for free, but after so many organic streams, it made economic sense for Sony Music India to work a deal out so it could be released officially.

While this may be a short-term financial “risk” to the artist who is sampling, there’s a big payout if the song goes viral. Artists like Olivia Rodrigo have considered it a huge building block for their careers. Her hit “Good 4 U” may have given up millions of dollars in royalties to Paramore, but it was Oliva that won big at the Grammys while experiencing a tour, merch sales, and follow-up releases.

So what happens when “sampling” becomes too expensive or has “unfavorable” terms? – “Interpolation.” But it’s Saturday. You relax and let us do the work. We’ll keep this topic going at another time. Meanwhile, share this article with a friend :)

.Raghu Alla, Director | Popshift

Gurinder Gill Drops New Album “Hard Choices”

After a long and silent hiatus, Gurinder Gill has finally stepped back onto the music scene with the release of a new album — “Hard Choices.” A solo project away from his usual collaborators AP Dhillon and Shinda Kahlon, the album features seven original new tracks that are already being well-received by fans everywhere. PopShift has long asked, “Where tf is Gurinder Gill?” We’re finally thrilled to report that we’ve found him.

Never Have I Ever Drops Fourth and Final Season

“Never Have I Ever” concludes its fourth and final season, marking a monumental chapter in mainstream South-Asian content. The Netflix series follows Devi, an Indian-American teenager, as she copes with her father's loss, navigates high school challenges, and confronts cultural expectations in her quest for popularity. Created by Mindy Kaling and Lang Fisher and starring Maitreyi Ramakrishnan, Poorna Jagannathan, and Richa Moorjani, the show has sparked conversations filled with both criticisms and praises.

WatchList: Sid Sriram and His Global Takeover

Sid Sriram has already earned hundreds of millions of streams and countless credits to his name as a renowned playback singer in India, but now he’s back in America and impressing a whole new audience. With his newly released singles “Do The Dance” and “Dear Sahana,” an upcoming debut English album “SIDHARTH,” a recent Tiny Desk performance, and a summer string of shows with Indie rock star Bon Iver, Sid Sriram is ready for the whole world to hear him sing.

Other Relatable News

• Raaginder released a new track, “While I’m Alive.”

• Supreme Sidhu released a new track, “Loaded Freestyle.”

• FINESSE. Released two new tracks, “GETTING STRANGER” and “ON SOME OTHER SHIT.”

• Anjali Asha released a new track, “Bad Romance.”

• Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty is launching in India.

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Writers: Raghu Alla, Roshni Lalchandani, Aneesa Khan

Editors: Roshni Lalchandani, Raghu Alla