{{Short description|First music company of Nepal}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2022}} {{Infobox company | name = Music Nepal | logo = Music Nepal logo.png | image = | native_name = म्यूजिक नेपाल | native_name_lang = ne | founded = 1982 | founder = Santosh Sharma }}
'''Music Nepal''' (Nepali: म्यूजिक नेपाल) is a Nepalese record label and music distribution company founded in 1982 by Santosh Sharma.
The company initially began as a recording studio equipped with advanced infrastructure for its time and focused on recording Nepali music. Music Nepal is recognized for recording one of the earliest commercially produced Nepali folk duet songs in the ''dohori'' style, a traditional musical form widely popular across rural Nepal.
In its early years, the company produced and distributed music primarily through cassette formats, with a strong emphasis on folk music from different regions of the country. As the popularity and demand for folk music grew, Music Nepal increasingly focused on promoting and preserving this genre, which has long been considered a central element of Nepal’s musical identity. Over time, the company expanded its catalog to include a wide range of musical genres.
With the shift toward digital media, Music Nepal transitioned from physical distribution to digital platforms and expanded its role as an aggregator of Nepali music worldwide. The company currently distributes music through major global services such as iTunes, Spotify, Sony Music Entertainment, and YouTube. As of 2020, Music Nepal’s YouTube channel was reported to be one of the most viewed entertainment channels originating from Nepal.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Nepal: leading YouTube channels by number of views 2020| work = Statista| url = https://www.statista.com/statistics/937308/nepal-leading-youtube-channels-by-number-of-views/}}</ref>
In 2016 (2074 B.S.), the company also launched its own mobile application to expand access to Nepali music through digital streaming.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Music Nepal app launched| work = The Himalayan Times| date = 2017-07-17| url = https://thehimalayantimes.com/business/music-nepal-app}}</ref>
In 2005 it founded a music school and research centre named Nepal Music Center in Kathmandu.<ref>{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1177/139156140000100108| issn = 1391-5614| volume = 1| issue = 1| pages = 155–182| last = Pradhan| first = Pustun| title = An Overview of Copyright Legislation in Nepal| journal = South Asia Economic Journal| accessdate = 2021-02-06| date = 2000-03-01| s2cid = 154061397| url = https://doi.org/10.1177/139156140000100108| archive-date = 2022-02-20| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220220024657/https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/139156140000100108| url-status = live| url-access = subscription}}</ref> The company has also published the list of its recordings.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Madan Puraskar Pustakalaya| accessdate = 2021-02-06| url = https://www.madanpuraskar.org/search/monographsview.php?start=21337| archive-date = 2022-02-20| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220220024655/https://www.madanpuraskar.org/search/monographsview.php?start=21337| url-status = live}}</ref>
==Significance== Music Nepal was the first recording company to formally pay royalties to the artists which helped to shape the music industry of Nepal. The royalty helped to change lifestyles of artists. The trend was then followed by other private recording industry. Music Nepal also helped to form copyright laws of Nepal.<ref>{{Cite journal| volume = 48| pages = 43–76| last = Stirr| first = Anna| title = Music and Cultural Policy in Nepal: Views from Lok Dohori| journal = European Bulletin of Himalayan Research| date = 2016}}</ref> The company was also the first to produce ''Dohari geet'' (folk songs) in CD in {{NepaliDateConverter|nepaliyear=2048}}.<ref>{{Cite journal| issn = 2663-1512| volume = 2| issue = II| pages = 22–37| last = Adhikary| first = Ramesh Prasad| title = Voice of Subalterns in Nepali Dohori Geets| journal = University of Chitral Journal of Linguistics & Literature| accessdate = 2021-02-06| date = 2019-06-30| url = http://jll.uoch.edu.pk/index.php/journal10/article/view/170| archive-date = 2021-02-11| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210211150858/http://jll.uoch.edu.pk/index.php/journal10/article/view/170| url-status = live}}</ref>
==Major artists== {{Incomplete list|date=November 2024}} *Black Pink<ref>{{Cite web|title=LOSER by BLACKPINK| website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7uAoRrPCCI|date=2024-11-21}}</ref> *Narayan Gopal *Gopal Yonzon *Udit Narayan *Bishnu Majhi * Hira Devi Waiba, first female artist of Music Nepal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.tamangonline.com/news/13540|title=चुरा त होइन अस्तुरा - पहिलो तामाङ सेलो गीत ? - Tamang Online|date=2016-12-07|work=Tamang Online|access-date=2018-03-05|language=en-US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180304212229/http://www.tamangonline.com/news/13540|archive-date=4 March 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref> * Sur Sudha<ref name="re01">{{Cite journal| accessdate = 2021-02-06| url = https://www.jstor.org/stable/834405| jstor = 834405| last1 = Henderson| first1 = David| title = Reviewed work: Shringara Group: Nepali Traditional Folk Tunes, Gyanu Radha Gorkhali, Parshuram Bhandari, Achyut Ram Bhandari, Prakash Chandra Pathak, Music Nepal (P.) LTD.; Sur Sudha: Festivals of Nepal, Prem Rana Autari, Bijaya Vaidya, Surendra Shrestha, Guy Gray| journal = Asian Music| year = 2000| volume = 31| issue = 2| pages = 180–183| doi = 10.2307/834405| url-access = subscription}}</ref> * Shringara Group <ref name="re01"/> *Mingma Sherpa<ref>{{Cite web| title = Migma Sherpa - Hot Property| accessdate = 2021-02-06| url = https://radiokantipur.com/celebrity/hot-property/196| archive-date = 2021-01-20| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210120162028/https://radiokantipur.com/celebrity/hot-property/196| url-status = live}}</ref> *Nabin Bhattarai<ref>{{Cite web| last = Mausam| title = Nabin K Bhattarai releases new pop album NKB| work = The Himalayan Times| accessdate = 2021-02-06| date = 2018-06-07| url = https://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/nabin-k-bhattarai-releases-new-pop-album-nkb| archive-date = 2020-06-14| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200614064617/https://thehimalayantimes.com/entertainment/nabin-k-bhattarai-releases-new-pop-album-nkb/| url-status = live}}</ref> *Prem Raja Mahat *Raju Lama *Deep Shrestha *Karna Das *Jhalak Man Gandarbha *Dinesh Subba *1974 AD *Bhuwan Khatiwada<ref>{{Cite web|title=BADAN - Official Lyrical Video| website=YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2_JJmReytI|date=2025-01-27}}</ref> *Babina Bhattarai<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nepal Views : More Than News, Nepalviews, Nepal Views News portal |url=https://www.nepalviews.com/ |access-date=2024-02-01 |website=Nepal Views : More Than News, Nepalviews, Nepal Views News portal |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Music Nepal Awards== {{Incomplete list|date=February 2021}} ==Awards and recognition==
Music Nepal has historically recognized and honored artists for their contributions and commercial success in the Nepali music industry. Since its inception, the company organized an annual event known as ''Music Nepal Sanjh'', where artists were congratulated and presented with awards based on the sales of their cassette releases. The event served as a platform to acknowledge notable achievements during the era of physical music distribution in Nepal.
With the gradual transition of the music industry from physical formats to digital platforms, the practice of awarding artists based on cassette sales declined. Nevertheless, the event remains notable as one of the early initiatives in Nepal to formally recognize the commercial success of recording artists.
A list of notable artists who have received recognition through these awards is provided below:
*Khem Raj Gurung, singer, 2056 BS <ref>{{Cite web| title = Kantipur-जब १ घण्टाको लागि खेमराजको शव खाँदबारी ल्याइयो... - कान्तिपुर समाचार| accessdate = 2021-02-06| url = https://ekantipur.com/ampnews/2016-08-28/20160828142222.html?fb_comment_id=932445386881964_932490180210818| archive-date = 2022-02-20| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220220024657/https://ekantipur.com/ampnews/2016-08-28/20160828142222.html?fb_comment_id=932445386881964_932490180210818| url-status = live}}</ref> *Ratna Samsher Thapa, songwriter, 2076 BS *Kiran Kharel, songwriter, 2076 BS *Deepak Jangum, musician, 2076 BS *Sambhujit Baskota, musician, 2076 BS <ref>{{Cite web| title = म्युजिक नेपालद्वारा चार स्रष्टालाई सम्मान| work = Naya Patrika| accessdate = 2021-02-06| url = https://nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/29095/2019-11-15| archive-date = 2021-02-13| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210213192936/https://nayapatrikadaily.com/news-details/29095/2019-11-15| url-status = live}}</ref>
==Controversies==
In 2018 Nephop artist VTEN recreated an old folk song simsime pani which even became most viewed Nepali Song in a week but later was deleted as Music Nepal Claimed the license
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://www.musicnepal.com/ Official website]
{{Authority control}}
Category:Music organisations based in Nepal Category:Music companies of Nepal Category:1982 establishments in Nepal
{{Nepal-music-stub}}