"Albums are getting launched but a positive development is that singles are also being launched. This trend wasn't prominent here but regularly took place abroad. The problem was that for one particular song, you have to buy other songs as well which were unwanted. But now you have the option to buy only the song that you wish to buy, which is a good thing," he told media persons at launch of singer Richa Sharma's single "Ranglee' on Wednesday to a query about the trend of singles.
The album culture which was popular during the 1990s saw numerous singers like Sonu Nigam and bands like Euphoria regularly launching albums. But after the turn of the century, the album culture declined. But emergence of digital access to content through apps, smartphones and video streaming has again brought focus to non-Bollywood music.
Rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh is one who frequently launches singles and albums which do well digitally like the recent "Dheere Dheere" featuring Hrithik Roshan and Sonam Kapoor.
Akhtar said: "The means of communication are evolving and technology plays a crucial role behind that. But the content, real factors or the soul of the work has to be effective irrespective of whether you download, stream it or if you purchased the CD. However the content, it will reach the audiences."
He also said that he is thoroughly enjoying writing the lyrics of wife Shabana Azmi's education-based film "Chalk N Duster".
