Pakistani Music Available
on New iTunes Desi Hits!
Pakistan Link Report
The world's first official iTunes store
dedicated to Desi music was launched earlier this month,
representing a significant stride for South Asian music
artists and supporters. In conjunction with Apple's iTunes,
the company driving this endeavor, Desi Hits! ( www.desihits.com)
is making South Asian music more accessible for everyone
through the web-based music store. iTunes has sold more
than 2 billion songs, accounting for more than 80% of worldwide
online digital music sales. It is now easier than ever before
to search for music by genre, artist, song, album, or film
title through the new Desi Hits! iTunes storefront.
The catalogue of digital music currently includes popular
Pakistani artists such as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Taufiq
Qureshi, Zakir Hussain, Ustad Zultan Khan, Atif Aslam and
Qurram Hussain of the Canadian band Josh, among others,
as well as other Desi and mainstream hits. The site gives
audiences a preview of up-and-coming talent and spotlights
established artists by featuring select songs on their popular
podcast shows, which hold the number one spot for Desi podcasts
on iTunes. In addition to the branded iTunes store and music
podcasts, the South Asian entertainment portal provides
visitors with streaming videos, artist profiles, celebrity
interviews, blogs, forums and shows created by Desi Hits!
fans – a true multimedia experience.
Today, Desi Hits! is one of the fastest growing South Asian
websites according to Alexa Ratings, with 3.6 million visitors
each month. With visitors from 67 countries, and a vibrant
online community, it is clear that fans include Desis and
non-Desis alike. The company has firm footing in the mainstream
world with funding from prestigious venture capital firms
(who also backed Hotmail, Skype and Baidu), an impressive
board of well-connected executives, and recent recognition
as one of the "top 100 digital entertainment companies
to watch for" by AlwaysOn Hollywood 2007.
The Desi Hits! iTunes storefront gives audiences instant
access to music and the power help elevate the profile of
their favorite stars by buying tracks, while artists benefit
from the global exposure. Though outlets for pirated and
bootlegged copies do exist, music artists' success and survival
is contingent on the support they receive from fans, with
one of the greatest measures being legitimate album sales.
In order to put South Asian music on the international map,
the industry, artists and consumers need to work together
– Desi Hits! provides a place for that to happen.
Music and entertainment-lovers are encouraged to explore
www.desihits.com to discover, download, and purchase music
online anytime from anywhere.
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