‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ has become the first Bollywood film to release its complete soundtrack exclusively to paid music-streaming subscribers during an initial premium-only window, under Universal Music India’s ‘Hear It First’ initiative.

The move marks a new approach to film-music releases ahead of the franchise’s first theatrical outing on September 4, a press release from the music company and Excel Entertainment stated yesterday.

The full album was released this week under Excel Music, the recently announced music label of Excel Entertainment.

Under ‘Hear It First’, new releases are made available to premium subscribers across music-streaming services in India for an initial period before being opened up to listeners on ad-supported tiers.

The initiative is aimed at giving paying subscribers early access while creating additional value for artists, labels and the wider music ecosystem.

“Building a stronger paid music ecosystem is important for the long-term growth of the Indian music industry,” said Vishal Ramchandani, CEO, Excel Entertainment.

“ ‘Hear It First’ gives fans another reason to subscribe while creating greater value for artists, labels and the entire ecosystem,” he said, adding that Excel Music wants to be “at the forefront of initiatives that help grow and strengthen the industry,” he added.

The premium-first strategy comes as ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ takes the franchise from streaming to cinemas, bringing back Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Rasika Dugal, Shriya Pilgaonkar and Abhishek Banerjee, alongside new additions Jitendra Kumar and Ravi Kishan.

Produced by Excel Entertainment, the film brings the franchise’s established characters and fan favourites to the big screen for its first theatrical chapter.

With its album being the first Bollywood soundtrack to adopt the ‘Hear It First’ model, ‘Mirzapur: The Movie’ is also positioning its music launch as part of the franchise’s wider theatrical expansion, the release added.