Sep
Industry Insight
Mirzapur: The Movie Makes Bollywood History With Its Premium Subscriber-First Music Album Launch
Mumbai, 1st September 2026: From the dusty lanes of Mirzapur to the big screen, the iconic streaming franchise is entering its biggest chapter yet. After three acclaimed seasons, Mirzapur has become a pop-culture phenomenon. Now, Mirzapur: The Movie is taking the franchise into cinemas while making headlines with an innovative music strategy. Ahead of its theatrical release, the film has launched its complete soundtrack under Excel Music, the recently announced music label from Excel Entertainment. The album is part of Universal Music India’s ‘Hear It First’ initiative.
Under the ‘Hear It First’ model, new releases receive an initial premium-first window across music streaming services in India. Premium subscribers can access the music first, before the releases become available to audiences across ad-supported tiers. With Mirzapur: The Movie, this strategy marks a significant first for Hindi film music. The film becomes the first Bollywood album to launch its complete soundtrack through a premium subscriber-first window, signalling a potential shift in how major film albums are released and consumed in India.
Link to the album here:
Speaking about the initiative, Vishal Ramchandani, CEO of Excel Entertainment, said, “Building a stronger paid music ecosystem is important for the long-term growth of the Indian music industry. ‘Hear It First’ gives fans another reason to subscribe while creating greater value for artists, labels and the entire ecosystem. As we build Excel Music, we want to be at the forefront of initiatives that help grow and strengthen the industry, and we’re excited that Mirzapur: The Movie is the first Bollywood album to take this step.”
Produced by Excel Entertainment, Mirzapur: The Movie is set to arrive in cinemas on 4 September 2026. The film brings back franchise favourites including Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Rasika Dugal, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Abhishek Banerjee. It also expands the franchise with Jitendra Kumar and Ravi Kishan joining the world. As Mirzapur moves from streaming phenomenon to theatrical spectacle, its music strategy adds another milestone to the franchise’s expanding legacy.
