The Business Of Bhajans: How Labels And Platforms Monetize Spirituality

In India, where music and spirituality have long walked hand in hand, devotional music is not just an art form—it is an immersive, enduring experience rooted in centuries of culture, faith, and community. But beyond temple walls and morning rituals, the spiritual and devotional music industry has quietly grown into a significant and resilient segment of the Indian music business, bridging generations and evolving with time and technology.

A Legacy of Sound and Spirit

Devotional music in India encompasses a vast range of styles and traditions—from bhajans, kirtans, and qawwalis, to mantras, shabads, aartis, and Sufi or Carnatic spiritual renditions. These songs are not confined to a single religion or region. From the reverent chants of Lord Shiva in Varanasi to gospel hymns in Kerala and Sufi kalams in Punjab, the spiritual music scene reflects India's diverse religious landscape.

Legendary voices like Anup Jalota, Lata Mangeshkar, Jagjit Singh, Suresh Wadkar, and M.S. Subbulakshmi laid the foundation for modern devotional music, while contemporary artists like Shankar Mahadevan, Kailash Kher, Arijit Singh, and Bhoomi Trivedi continue to release devotional tracks that find massive audiences, particularly around festivals and holy days.

A Business That Transcends Trends

While pop hits come and go, devotional music enjoys perennial relevance. According to industry estimates, spiritual and devotional music accounts for nearly 15–20% of music streaming consumption in India, with spikes during religious festivals like Diwali, Navratri, Eid, and Maha Shivratri. The genre performs strongly on YouTube, Gaana, JioSaavn, Spotify, and regional platforms, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

Music labels like T-Series, Saregama, Times Music, and Tips have robust devotional catalogues, regularly investing in high-quality productions featuring both legacy recordings and new compositions. T-Series, for instance, runs dedicated YouTube devotional channels in multiple languages, some with subscriber bases in the millions.

Streaming services have also taken note—Spotify India, for example, has curated devotional playlists in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, and Punjabi, while apps like Bhakti Sangrah, Shemaroo Bhakti,and times music and Devotional India cater to niche audiences looking for curated spiritual content.

Going Beyond the Song

The devotional music economy isn’t limited to audio tracks. Live bhajan concerts, digital pujas, ringtone downloads, wellness apps, and meditation music libraries are all part of a growing ecosystem that monetizes spirituality in modern formats. The demand for non-film spiritual music videos has surged, often blending cinematic visuals with traditional compositions to engage younger audiences.

Additionally, temple trusts, spiritual gurus, and religious organizations often produce their own music, distributed via YouTube or social media. Influencers like Sadguru, Morari Bapu, and Shri Ravishankar have turned to music to reinforce their teachings, often collaborating with composers and musicians to create devotional content tailored to digital audiences.

Regional and Vernacular Power

One of the greatest strengths of India’s devotional music business is its deeply regional nature.

In Tamil Nadu, Thevaram and Thiruppugazh compositions dominate; in Maharashtra, abhangs and bhakti geet are central; in Bengal, baul songs and kirtans thrive. Vernacular content drives loyalty, repeat listens, and generational bonding.

Regional YouTube channels and WhatsApp forwards help keep local devotional songs alive, with monetization through ads, donations, and premium subscriptions becoming viable revenue streams.

The Road Ahead: Spirituality Meets Technology

With rising digital penetration and renewed interest in wellness and mindfulness, devotional music is finding a new identity in the digital age. AI-generated mantras, AR/VR-enabled temple experiences, and immersive audio formats (like Dolby Atmos aartis) are just the beginning. Startups are also exploring NFTs of sacred chants and subscription-based spiritual content, signaling the fusion of ancient wisdom with modern tech.

As India balances rapid modernization with cultural preservation, the devotional music industry serves as a shining example of how tradition can be reimagined for new generations—without losing its soul.