What caller tunes are and why they matter in India
A caller tune (Jio calls it JioTunes, Airtel calls it Hello Tunes) plays your song to anyone who calls a subscriber who has set it. In India, where millions still discover music this way, it's both a revenue stream and a discovery channel that reaches people who never open Spotify. Ignoring it leaves money and ears on the table.
How to make your song a caller tune
You can't upload a caller tune directly yourself, it goes through the telcos, and you reach them via a distributor or aggregator that has telco deals.
- Pick a distributor that offers caller-tune delivery. Not all do, see our distributor guide, India-focused aggregators tend to be the strongest here, the big international flat-fee services (DistroKid, Amuse) generally don't offer it.
- Opt into the caller-tune channel when you submit your release, usually a checkbox or add-on in the distributor's upload flow, ask support directly if it isn't obvious.
- Confirm delivery to Jio and Airtel specifically, the two that matter most by user base, some aggregators only reach one of them.
- Ask your fans to set it. A plain "set my song as your caller tune" post works, since most listeners don't think to look for new songs there themselves.
Which distributors offer caller tunes
Not every distributor delivers caller tunes, it needs direct telco relationships. Before you pick a distributor, ask specifically whether they offer Jio and Airtel caller-tune delivery if this channel matters to you. Some India-focused distributors and aggregators specialise in it. Our distributor guide covers how to choose, and caller tunes are one of the India-specific things to check for.
How caller tune royalties work
When a listener sets your song as their caller tune, you earn a share of the fee, split between the telco, the distributor and you, per your agreement. Per-set royalties are modest, but volume adds up, and unlike a stream, a caller tune keeps earning for as long as someone keeps it set. Track it in your distributor dashboard alongside your streaming income.
Is it worth it for independent artists?
For the right song, yes, especially anything with wide, mainstream or regional appeal. It costs you nothing extra beyond choosing the right distributor, and it reaches an audience streaming doesn't. Push your fans to set it (a simple "set my song as your caller tune" ask works), and treat it as one more income stream, not the whole plan.