How much does custom AV software cost in India?

By Dibyendu Deogharia, Founder · 6 October 2026 · 5 min read

"How much will it cost?" is the first question most event companies, venues and brands ask about custom audio-visual software, and the honest answer is "it depends". That is not very useful on its own, so this guide gives typical ranges for projects in India, explains what pushes a project up or down those ranges, and shows how to get a reliable quote quickly. The figures are rough guides for planning, not a price list: every venue, rig and show is different.

What counts as custom AV software?

AV software is anything that creates, plays or controls sound and visuals together. In practice, custom projects in India usually fall into one of these groups:

Audio-reactive visuals: real-time graphics on LED walls, screens or projection that follow live music, stems or a DJ set.
Control bridges and utilities: small programs that translate between systems, for example turning MIDI from a performer's controller into OSC for a visual server and DMX for lighting.
Show control and playback: a cue-based system that runs a launch, award night or concert, keeping video, lighting and sound on the same timeline.
Permanent installations: software for museums, experience centres, retail and hospitality that runs unattended every day, often with sensors and scheduling.
AV apps: visualisers, players and creative tools for desktop, mobile or the browser.

Typical price ranges in India

These are typical ranges for the software work, before GST (currently 18% on software services) and excluding hardware such as media servers, LED processors, projectors and sensors.

A focused tool or control bridge: around ₹1.5 to 5 lakh. One clear job, one or two protocols, a simple interface, tested on your gear. Typically two to six weeks.
Audio-reactive visuals for a show or brand: around ₹3 to 10 lakh. Depends heavily on how many looks or scenes you need, the output resolution and whether the visuals are 2D, 3D or generative.
Show control or playback for one event or venue: around ₹5 to 15 lakh. Cue lists, timecode, links to lighting and sound, an operator interface, backup and rehearsal support.
Permanent, unattended installations: from ₹15 lakh upwards. Scheduling, recovery after power cuts, remote monitoring, sensor integration, documentation and a support plan. Larger multi-room systems can go well beyond this.

If a quote is far below these ranges, check what is missing: testing on real equipment, on-site time and support after launch are the usual casualties. If it is far above, ask which features drive it, since one ambitious requirement often accounts for most of the cost.

What drives the cost

1. How reliable it has to be

Software that runs once in a rehearsal room is very different from software that must survive a live broadcast or run for six months without anyone touching it. Failover machines, automatic restarts, watchdogs, logging and remote monitoring all add work, and they are worth it when the show cannot stop.

2. How many systems it talks to

Each connection, whether DMX, Art-Net, OSC, MIDI, NDI, timecode or a custom API, needs to be built and tested against the actual equipment. A system that only plays video is simple. One that keeps video, lighting, sound and sensors in sync is much more involved.

3. Visual ambition

Real-time 3D, generative visuals and very high resolutions across many outputs need more development and more powerful hardware than 2D playback. Content creation is often a separate line item from the software that plays it.

4. Interactivity and sensors

Anything that responds to people, through cameras, depth sensors, touch or phones, needs calibration in the real space. Budget time on site, not just at a desk.

5. Who operates it

Software run by its developer can be bare. Software run by a venue technician or a rental company's operator needs a clear interface, sensible defaults, presets and a short guide. That extra polish is cheap compared with a confused operator on show day.

6. Timeline

Tight deadlines cost more, because they force parallel work and leave less room to test. Live events in India are often confirmed late, so starting the software conversation as soon as the date is likely, even before every detail is fixed, saves money.

7. On-site time and travel

Rehearsals and show days are part of the job for live AV software. Work in your own city is simpler; elsewhere in India, travel and accommodation for rehearsals and handover are usually billed at cost.

Fixed price or time and materials?

For a clearly defined first version, a fixed price gives you certainty. For exploratory work, such as a new visual style or an installation concept that needs testing with real visitors, a short paid prototype followed by a fixed quote for the full build is usually the best of both. Be cautious about fixed prices for vague scopes: someone ends up unhappy.

Costs people forget

Hardware: show machines, GPUs, capture cards, network switches, sensors. Rental is common for events; permanent installs need purchased, spare-backed kit.
Content: the visuals, animations and sound that the software plays or generates.
Licences: some tools and codecs carry their own licence fees.
Support after launch: operating system updates, new equipment and venue changes. An annual support plan for permanent systems is typically a modest percentage of the build cost.

Should you build custom at all?

Not always. Off-the-shelf media servers, VJ software and show control tools are excellent and cover many shows completely. Custom software pays off when you need behaviour those tools do not offer, when you are joining systems that do not talk to each other, or when a permanent installation must be simple enough for venue staff to run. We cover this decision in detail in show control and media software: build vs buy.

How to get an accurate quote quickly

Send a short brief that answers these questions and you will get a far more useful number back:

What should the audience see and hear, in one or two sentences?
Where will it run, for how long, and who will operate it?
What equipment is already in the rig or the venue?
What has to stay in sync: video, lighting, sound, sensors?
What is the date, and when can the software be tested on the real gear?
Is there a budget range? Sharing one helps us suggest the right scope rather than the biggest one.

Working with DareDive

We are an AV software development company in Mumbai, building audio-reactive visuals, show control, playback and installation software for events, venues and brands across India. We also build live show visuals and stage AV systems and interactive installations. Send us a few lines about your project below and we will reply with questions, a suggested scope and a realistic range.