Arijit Singh speaks on voice training struggles and song royalty concerns

Arijit Singh speaks on voice training struggles and song royalty concernsThe night of January 27th brought shocking news for the Hindi music industry. Arijit Singh announced his retirement from playback singing, which broke the hearts of music lovers. Fans became emotional and appealed to the singer to reconsider his decision. Everyone was also curious to know what happened to Arijit Singh that made him decide to retire from playback singing? Arijit listed the reasons on his private X account. However, Arijit Singh had planned this quite a while ago. He hinted at this in an interview in 2016. Two years later, he also spoke about the royalties he received for his songs.

About 10-11 years ago, when Arijit Singh had a dispute with Salman Khan, the singer wrote an apology on social media and apologized to the actor. It was claimed that Arijit Singh's work was being affected due to the conflict with Salman. He wasn't getting any songs. But that wasn't the case. In an interview with our associate 'ETimes' in 2016, Arijit said that he was still working and the dispute with Salman had not affected him.

Arijit had said - If I don't get songs, I will become a music producer

Arijit had said that if he didn't get songs tomorrow, he would become a music producer. And now Arijit has voluntarily retired from playback singing. He announced this in a social media post, but also said that he will continue to make music. He is also focusing on production and filmmaking. Arijit Singh's first Hindi film, which he is producing, is coming soon. His son is the hero in the film, while Nawazuddin Siddiqui's daughter, Shora, is the heroine. The film is currently being shot.

Concerns about royalties: Arijit had said - If we get paid for every song...

Meanwhile, Arijit Singh had once spoken about the royalties he receives for his songs. In an interview with Pinkvilla in 2018, he said that royalties are very important for singers like him, but they are also the biggest drawback because they don't receive them. If singers like him received royalties for every song, their future would be secure.

Arijit Singh's royalties increased

However, according to a 2024 Spotify report, Indian singers' royalties increased by 6% compared to 2023. And Arijit Singh has been the most streamed Indian artist every year. According to the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012, playback singers now have the right to receive lifetime royalties. Since Arijit Singh has been the most streamed Indian artist every year for the past few years, he will continue to receive royalties for his songs even after retirement.

Will Arijit Singh earn Rs 75 crore annually after retirement?

According to a tweet, Arijit Singh's songs have been streamed 15 billion times in the last 365 days, according to YouTube charts. This number is increasing every year. Even if he receives only 5 paise per play, he will still earn Rs 75 crore annually from just one streaming platform.

Arijit Singh's struggle: He strained his throat, tortured himself to hone his voice

Arijit Singh has struggled a lot to reach the position he is in today. This struggle was not only about getting work but also about improving his voice. Arijit spoke about this in an interview. Arijit had revealed that his original voice was different, but people hated it. Seeing this, he subjected his throat to immense strain, manipulating and altering his voice until he achieved the sound that has garnered millions of fans today.

'People hated my original voice'

In an interview with 'The Music Podcast,' Arijit said, "I have actually broken my voice. My voice was a little different before. My voice was completely different. To get that voice back, I would have to give up everything for 2-3 months, but people hated that voice. When I started singing in that voice, people didn't like it at all."

Arijit said, "I tortured myself a lot."

Arijit further added, "That's why I had to change my voice. I have created this texture by straining my throat. It's almost like sculpting my voice. I tortured myself a lot in a way so that the projection of my voice would change, basically like building the muscle of my voice."

Arijit Singh's career, songs, and awards

Talking about Arijit Singh's career, he started with the reality show 'Fame Gurukul' in 2005. In 2011, he debuted with the song 'Phir Mohabbat Karne Chala'. But the song 'Tum Hi Ho' from the 2013 film 'Aashiqui 2' brought him immense popularity. After this, Arijit Singh delivered one blockbuster song after another, including 'Man Mast Magan', 'Tose Naina', 'Binte Dil', and 'Kesariya', as well as the song 'Matrubhumi' from the Salman Khan-starrer 'Battle of Galwan'. Arijit Singh has won two National Awards and 8 Filmfare Awards in his career. He was also awarded the Padma Shri in 2025.