Mumbai, India – Renowned music composer Monty Sharma has shed light on the evolving landscape of the Indian music industry and disclosed the astonishing fee commanded by playback singing sensation Arijit Singh for a single live performance. In a recent interview with Lallantop, Sharma revealed that Arijit Singh now charges a staggering ₹2 crore per show.
Sharma, known for his work as a background music composer for critically acclaimed films like Devdas (2002) and Black (2005), and as a music director for films such as Saawariya (2007), reflected on the drastic changes in the industry’s economics.
“Everything has evolved over a period of time,” Monty Sharma stated. “Earlier, we used to make a complete song for ₹2 lakh. This included an entire orchestra, which included 40 violins and a lot of other things. Eventually, when I created a brand name for myself after a couple of my works did well, I started to charge ₹35,000 per song, irrespective of the other expenses included to make a song.”
He then contrasted this with Arijit Singh’s current market value, recalling the singer’s early dedication. “When Arijit used to come and sit with me, he used to sit for 6 hours straight. Now, he charges ₹2 crore for a performance, for a show. So if someone wants to do a show, they do give ₹2 crore.”
Sharma attributed this significant shift in earnings to the increased exposure provided by digital platforms. “Earlier, people used to hear songs on the Radio or on television; now, people have it on YouTube. So now the exposure has increased. With the emergence of OTT and YouTube, the money is humongous.”
However, Sharma also highlighted a disparity in the distribution of this new wealth, particularly for composers. “So if I am doing a song for 15-20 lakhs, 90% of the rights audio company takes it. They are the ones making mad money right now.”
Monty Sharma, the nephew of legendary composer Pyarelal Sharma (of Laxmikant-Pyarelal fame) and cousin of Mithoon, started his career as a keyboard player at 16, working with esteemed composers before making his mark independently.
Meanwhile, Arijit Singh continues to be one of the most sought-after voices in Bollywood, with recent hits like “Dhun” from Mohit Suri’s Saiyaara, and soulful renditions including “Zamaana Lage,” “Mausam,” and “Qayde Se” from Metro… In Dino. He has also lent his voice to the much-anticipated film War 2 with the song “Aavan Jaavan.”