It’s not new that in 2024, there’s hardly a Hindi film without an Arijit Singh song. In (almost) every Bollywood film’s music album of 2024, there will be a song sung by Arijit Singh, and it’s common for it to rank high in music charts. This year alone, his notable achievements include “Sajni” from Laapataa Ladies, India’s official 2025 Oscar entry, and the heart-wrenching protest song “Aar Kobe?” which garnered 3.2 million views on YouTube within two months.
However, despite delivering many successful songs and being a leading musician whose concert tickets sell in lakhs, the title of India’s highest-paid singer doesn’t belong to Arijit Singh. Similarly, according to Hindustan Times and DNA data, even Shreya Ghoshal, who charges ₹25 lakhs per song, hasn’t claimed this title.
Meanwhile, Ghoshal, who has provided new experiences with heavy musical pieces like “Tumi Bondhu Aaj Shune”, has secured the position of India’s highest-paid female singer. According to CNBCTV18 and News18 data, her total net worth is between ₹180-240 crore.
Similarly, even Sonu Nigam, with a total net worth of approximately ₹350-400 crore, hasn’t claimed this title.
Who is India’s Highest-Paid Singer? He Charges ₹3 Crore for Just One Song
What’s special about the person who holds this title is that he’s not a full-time singer; however, he charges ₹3 crore for just one song.
According to Hindustan Times, Mint, and other publicly available data, A.R. Rahman is India’s highest-paid singer. The main reason Rahman demands such a high amount is that he wants to focus more on music composition.
Rahman, who rose to fame composing music for Mani Ratnam’s “Roja” in 1992, went on to win two Oscar awards (Best Original Song and Best Original Score) in 2009.
Rahman’s Early Days
Rahman began his musical training at the age of 4 with Tamil and Malayalam film music composer R.K. Shekar. After losing his father, he worked hard to support his family. He dropped out of school and took up music as a full-time job, composing for various advertisements and documentaries.
In 1992, he started Panchathan Record Inn, a studio in his backyard, and the very next year won the National Award for Best Music Director.
Today’s Music World Star
Today, A.R. Rahman has provided magnificent musical compositions for Indian, Hollywood, Kollywood, and many other film industries. His first Hollywood movie “Couples Retreat” (2009) won the BMI London Award for its music.
Rahman not only charges ₹3 crore per song but also receives ₹1-2 crore for each live concert. According to data from Mint, DNA, and Jagran, his total net worth has crossed ₹1,728 crore.
