The Business Of Love Songs: How Valentine's Day Boosts Streaming And Sales

Sound has been a vital component elating the human experience in the media. The incorporation of it into moving pictures propelled cinematic movements and provided a certain longevity in the cinema-viewing experience.

While sound enhanced the various aspects of media, music inserted a certain panache to cinema and later became an integral tool for enabling positive consumption patterns. It helped brands and other related entities establish their identities, and help accentuate them beyond just visual experience 

Music filled the void that words failed to, making it an important part of the romantic experience as well. In today's day and age, music is an important vessel to package, market, and sell romance. So, Valentine's Day becomes a goldmine for the entertainment and advertisement industries to capitalise on and sell their products. Be it rising streaming numbers of certain Arijit Singh songs or the Dairy Milk Silk campaign with the catchy jingle, V-day has become a thriving ground for artists and brands alike!

Love’s In The Music

While soft toys, chocolates, letters, and flowers still play a huge role in the Valentine's Day celebration, lovestruck individuals are curating playlists to enhance the experience. It is a bonanza for the streaming platforms when, through these curated playlists, romantic songs dominate the charts. 

There will be playlists for every mood, taking them through the gamut of the emotion. Recently, Spotify, to cover wider regional demographics, curated different playlists like ‘Valentine's Day Telugu,’ ‘Valentine’s Day Punjabi,’ ‘Valentine's Day Tamil,’ etc. In December 2024, the music streaming platforms had 57 million monthly active users, a spike of 16 million from the last two years. 

This is an indication of how homegrown artists like Arjit Singh, Armaan Malik, and others could cash in on the opportunity to release music around this time. According to a report, timeless romantic songs like Tum Hi Ho and others witnessed a 20-30% increase in streaming during this period. 

The Fervour Of Cinema And Music

Apart from festivals, cricket and cinema are two things that unite Indians and create a

fervour of celebration. During February, or the months leading up to Valentine’s Day, there is an inundation of romantic films or content on streaming platforms. It is a great opportunity for producers and film studios to create the love anthem of the year and cash in on it. 

Recently, Khushi Kapoor and Junaid Khan-starrer rom-com ‘Loveyapa’ is receiving traction. Releasing on the weekend before the day, it is a conducive time to release a cute, jovial rom-com starring young faces, attracting the young lovers to the cinema halls. Usually, Bollywood rom-coms have a record of catchy, romantic numbers. The film also has some soulful ballads and catchy numbers like ‘Tera Saath Hai’ and ‘Dil Ki Baat’ that are promoted to be ultimate love themes. 

Another trend is studios these days are strategising the re-release of these romantic films to market as the perfect date-night option. Film’s labels are also leveraging the re-releases to maximise streams of songs from romantic films. 

With the power of social media, Harshvardhan Rane-starrer romantic drama, Sanam Teri Kasam, was re-released, and the title and other songs are seeing a spike in streams, again thanks to social media. Streaming platforms are also playing a big hand in creating buzz around these re-releases by pushing the EP of the film. Spotify is also bumping Sanam Teri Kasam’s music album on the platforms. 

Ads: Storytelling Through Music

Music and sound have become an integral currency for brands to establish their identity and gain visibility.  As per a report by the WPP Group, 75% of Gen Z consumers have admitted to relating to a brand better through music. 

The fad of sonic branding has also permeated the Valentine's Day campaigns. Cadbury designed some of the most innovative campaigns to market Dairy Milk Silk. Who can forget the Kiss Me jingle for the ‘How far will you go for love?’ campaign. It is a masterclass in crafting marketing campaigns that can generate sales and brand recall value. 

Brands also collaborate with music artists for the Valentine's campaign. In 2021, Spotify India and Cadbury Silk collaborated with Armaan Malik for the ‘Made With Love’ campaign. During this campaign, Spotify India embedded a QR code that would land you on a romantic playlist curated by Armaan Malik. This captured the essence of Valentine's Day and also the spirit of collaborations and how music can create a lasting impression, becoming a strand of the holiday’s cultural fabric. 

While love takes the spotlight during Valentine's Day, music creates a powerful connection between commerce and emotions. From streaming platforms curating romantic playlists to film studios reviving the allure of timeless romance and brands opting for sonic branding, music has become a strategic marketing tool. Whether it is through a romantic ballad or an interesting jingle, music is the thread that binds love and business, making Valentine's Day a lesson in cultural panderance through marketing apart from a celebration of love.