Caller tunes are the song a caller hears while waiting for someone to pick up. In India, they're not a gimmick — caller ring back tones (CRBT) are one of the few music formats where fans actually pay for a single song, and for regional genres they can out-earn streaming. Here's how to get your song live as a caller tune in 2026, and how the money works.
What exactly is a caller tune (CRBT)?
CRBT stands for Caller Ring Back Tone. When a fan sets your song as their caller tune, everyone who calls them hears a clip of your track instead of the standard ring. Each operator runs its own CRBT store:
- Jio — JioTunes, set through the JioSaavn app or MyJio
- Airtel — Hello Tunes, set through the Airtel Thanks app or Wynk integration
- Vi (Vodafone Idea) — Vi Callertunes, set through the Vi app
- BSNL — BSNL Tunes, set via SMS/IVR
You can't upload a song to these stores yourself. Delivery happens through a music distributor that has CRBT deals with the operators — the same way you can't upload directly to JioSaavn.
Step-by-step: getting your song live as a caller tune
- Distribute your song with CRBT included. When you upload your release, choose a distributor (like Grootin) that delivers to Indian caller-tune stores alongside Spotify, Apple Music and JioSaavn. CRBT is usually a checkbox or an included store — confirm it's on before you submit.
- Get your metadata right. Operators index caller tunes by song name, artist name and film/album name. Spelling must exactly match what fans will search. If your song is in Punjabi, Bhojpuri or Tamil, set the correct language tag — regional CRBT catalogues are browsed by language.
- Wait for the operator to process it. After your release goes live on streaming, CRBT stores can take an extra one to three weeks. Each operator processes independently, so your song may appear on JioTunes before Hello Tunes.
- Find your song's caller-tune codes. Once live, each operator assigns your track a code or a search entry. Ask your distributor for the JioTune link and the Airtel/Vi song codes — you'll need them for promotion.
- Tell your fans exactly how to set it. This is the step most artists skip. A caller tune earns nothing until fans activate it.
How fans set your song (share this with them)
- Jio: open JioSaavn → search the song → tap the three dots → "Set as JioTune." Free with most Jio plans.
- Airtel: open Airtel Thanks → Hello Tunes → search the song → activate.
- Vi: open the Vi app → Music & Callertunes → search → set.
- BSNL: SMS "BT <song code>" to the BSNL Tunes number for your circle.
Make a 15-second Reel showing the JioTune steps on screen while your hook plays. Regional artists routinely pin this video — it converts better than any "stream my song" post.
How the money works
Operators charge users for CRBT either through their plan (Jio includes it in most plans) or a small monthly subscription (typically ₹10–₹31/month on other operators). That revenue is shared between the operator, aggregator and rights holders, and your share flows to you through your distributor like any other royalty — it shows up in your royalty report as a separate CRBT line.
Two honest notes. First, per-activation payouts are small; caller tunes are a volume game. A song with thousands of activations in Bihar or Punjab can produce a meaningful monthly cheque, while ten activations won't buy chai. Second, reporting is slower than streaming — operator royalties often land a month or two behind Spotify's.
Why caller tunes matter more for some genres
For Bhojpuri, Haryanvi, Punjabi and devotional music, caller tunes are often the second-largest income source after YouTube — bigger than Spotify. Listeners in these audiences may not pay for streaming subscriptions, but they happily set a ₹0 JioTune. If you make regional music and you're not on CRBT stores, you're leaving real money on the table. (See our guides on regional-language distribution and Bhojpuri distribution.)