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Tag: TuneCore

  • “The mainstream sounds of tomorrow are the subculture of today”: Akhila Shankar

    “The mainstream sounds of tomorrow are the subculture of today”: Akhila Shankar

    Mumbai: TuneCore Grant, which is a leading independent development partner for self-releasing artists to build audiences and careers.

    Recently, they have completed its third edition of the TuneCore Grant program for South India. The latest edition provided endowments of Rs 100,000 each to four independent artists who perform in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam respectively.

    Artists can enter by submitting a single to be judged by a panel of industry experts consisting of Sam C.S (music composer), Ghibran (music composer), Neha Nair (singer/songwriter) and Padmanaban N.S. (Head of Artist and Label Partnerships).

    Indiantelevision.com reached out to Akhila Shankar, Head of TuneCore, South Asia. During the conversation, Shankar delved more on their Tunecore Grant program, rise of independent music and more….

    Edited excerpts

    On TuneCore providing opportunities for artists from tier 3 and 4 markets, particularly in South India, through initiatives like the TuneCore Grant program

    When it comes to TuneCore’s larger mission of serving local artists and labels in the early stages of their development, localisation is key. TuneCore is the only global distributor to offer local pricing in Rs, and also happens to be one of the most affordable distribution plans in the market that allows artists to keep 100% of their rights. We are deeply committed to building programs like the TuneCore Grant that aid the growth of the industry and help artists overcome obstacles early in their careers. The Grant offers financial aid of Rs 100,000 to independent artists from India to help support their career growth. This year’s Grant was the largest one yet, with winners spanning four languages—Oliver Kim (Singer-songwriter, Kannada), Sumedh K (Singer-songwriter, Kannada), Oorali (Folk-rock, Tamil), Gowwli (Folk-rock, Multi-lingual)—each taking home Rs 100,000. In addition to financially supporting the winners, the Grant also encourages more artists to release music in their native languages. TuneCore saw a 11% increase in the number of releases in the 4 major South languages during the Grant, with Malayalam and Kannada seeing the highest growth.

    On your grand plans to support and promote their music careers of the winners of the TuneCore Grant program

    The Grant itself is designed to help grow the careers of the winning artists. Current and past winners have found unique ways of utilizing the Grant funds; some have invested in better equipment that helps them make better music, some used the fund to make music videos that  helped them expand their fanbase, and some leveraged the Grant money to record and promote new music. The Grant is the first step in a longer commitment to helping artists stay independent and grow in their careers. We’ve worked to create tools and opportunities for our artists through technology, like TuneCore Accelerator, a suite of tools that help artists find new audiences and propel fan discovery at each phase of development. On average, TuneCore artists who have opted into TuneCore Accelerator have seen their streams increase by over 30%. Locally, we also curate playlists like New Music Friday, TuneCore Next, TuneCore Roots and more where we spotlight our artist community, and partner with music festivals to provide live performance opportunities for independent TuneCore artists.

    On the growing popularity of independent music and TuneCore’s future in relation to other mainstream genres

    The mainstream sounds of tomorrow are the subculture of today. We’ve seen genres like electronic music and hip-hop grow as niche communities before they find their way into the mainstream. In that sense, the trends we see with independent music are a bit of a crystal ball to gaze into the future. In recent years, we’ve seen an incredible uptick in regional language content. This is not unique to music but part of a larger trend where Indian content is finding crossover audiences within the nation and abroad. OTT media services like Netflix have definitely played a role in this. As Indian audiences widen their musical palette across languages, our role is to help artists make better music, be better known and in general make their lives easier so they can do what they do best: focus on making great music. All of our programs and partnerships are geared towards this goal. Our recent partnership with PreSonus gives our artists the ability to distribute their music without leaving the Studio One DAW. Accelerator then helps them find new fans and grow their audiences. TuneCore no longer is just a digital distributor for independent artists, but a development partner helping artists build sustainable careers and shape the future of the music industry at large.

  • TuneCore grant expands to South India

    TuneCore grant expands to South India

    Mumbai: TuneCore, the leading development partner for self-releasing artists—owned by Paris-based Believe, one of the world’s leading digital music companies—has announced the third edition of the TuneCore Grant program. The latest edition will provide endowments of INR 100,000 each to four independent artists who perform in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam respectively. Artists can send in their entry via the TuneCore India website between 1 March and 31 March 2024.

    Artists can enter by submitting a single to be judged by a panel of industry experts consisting of Sam C.S (music composer), Ghibran (music composer), Neha Nair (singer/songwriter) and Padmanaban N.S. (Head of Artist and Label Partnerships).

    The TuneCore Grant was first launched in 2022 to provide financial support for rising independent artists to help further their careers. Since its inception, nearly 300 artists have participated in the program, submitting singles for consideration for the previous two editions.

    Discussing the growth of the program and this year’s focus on South India, TuneCore South Asia head  Akhila Shankar, said, “We’ve seen a burgeoning independent music scene emerging from the South with more artists choosing to create music in their native tongue. This is both worth celebrating and amplifying. With TuneCore Grant Punjabi we saw that the program directly led to a 40% increase in the number of TuneCore artists releasing music in the language. With each edition of the Grant, we hope to encourage more artists to release independently, express themselves in their language of choice, and contribute to India’s robust, diverse culture.”

    TuneCore artists in India release music in more than 25 local languages. The four languages selected for this edition of the grant represent some of the fastest growing languages in terms of number of releases per year.

    TuneCore VP International Tash Shah added, “At TuneCore, our international strategy thrives on fostering vibrant local music ecosystems around the world. The expansion of the TuneCore Grant to South India exemplifies this commitment. We believe financial empowerment at the grassroots level unlocks their creative potential.”

    Believe India & South Asia managing director Vivek Raina said, “Believe is committed to fostering local communities and artists singing in their local languages. As the independent music scene across the 5 southern states grows, we are committed to supporting artists at various stages through our network of services and programs”. 

  • TuneCore announces the second TuneCore Grant

    TuneCore announces the second TuneCore Grant

    Mumbai: TuneCore, the leading development partner for self-releasing artists—owned by Believe, one of the world’s leading digital music companies—has announced the funding of the second artist grant India-based artists, with this year’s grant specifically highlighting Punjabi music creators. The TuneCore Grant is a cash endowment of Rs 100,000 that will be awarded to one selected artist.

    Artists who participate and submit their singles will be judged based on their talent and potential by a panel of industry experts including Artist and Label Partnerships head Padmanabhan NS, Spotify head Rumpa Banerjee, Indian Performing Rights Society head of marketing/communication & member relations Atul Churamani, Turnkey Music & Publishing managing director Satvinder Kohli (Sonu Paaji), Speed Records Entertainment director (Punjab) Sonali Singh, Ripple Effect Studios founder and business manager Diljit Dosanjh; and TuneCore head, South Asia, Heena Kriplani.

    Submission details and additional information surrounding the TuneCore Grant Punjab are available on TuneCore India’s Instagram channel @tunecore.ind. Grant Applications from artists should include an original Punjabi single of any genre.

    TuneCore VP International Tash Shah said, “The Indian music industry is made up of one of the largest pools of talented independent artists in the world. Through the direct financial support offered by the TuneCore Grant, we are able to provide a rising artist with the resources to continue to create inspiring music, which resonates with audiences around the world. The wealth of diversity and talent that comes out of India is an inspiration, and TuneCore is proud to spotlight, celebrate and uplift talent from all of India’s robust regional music markets!”

    TuneCore head South Asia Herna Kriplani commented, “The first edition of the TuneCore Grant brought forth an incredible selection of talented artists from across the country. We recognise the skills of our artists and, with the second instalment of the Grant, wanted to focus on local pockets of India to highlight the importance and relevance of regional music. India is a diverse land, and to celebrate that diversity, TuneCore aims to turn our attention—one at a time—to musicians who choose to sing in their preferred language, shedding light on the different voices that comprise the Indian music community. As part of TuneCore’s ongoing efforts to eliminate barriers faced by independent artists, we are excited to fund this new grant and remind our artists that we are here for them.”

    Last year, TuneCore unveiled its Unlimited pricing structure, allowing constant music creation to be made more accessible for all artists by giving them the ability to release an unlimited number of singles and albums for one flat annual price. The Unlimited program gives artists the freedom to create more music and experiment with different release strategies to advance their careers and feed their growing fanbases. Even those sensitive to pricing can experience TuneCore’s expertise in independent distribution and become eligible for upstream into Believe’s Label & Artist Solutions or Believe Artist Services divisions’ “Signed By” program which has benefited over 400 TuneCore artists globally.

    Earlier this year TuneCore introduced Splits to fuel collaboration for self-releasing artists and enable royalty payments from their streaming & download revenue to be easily split between all collaborators on any track or album.

    With this edition of TuneCore Grant Punjab, TuneCore focuses on the talent of regional India, narrowing the scope and turning the spotlight on regional music. The TuneCore Grant Punjab is the first of its kind.

    Panelist Sonali Singh said, “India is a land of immense musical talent and we’re glad that TuneCore is giving local independent musicians an opportunity to shine. We are certain that India will drive the next century of music, with Punjabi music creators contributing significantly to the nation’s musical output. I am excited to see what all the participants have in store for us while we build and nurture talent to showcase Indian talent on a global stage.”

    Panelist Satvinder Kohli (fondly known as Sonu Paaji to those in the industry) said, “Punjabi music has garnered attention on a global scale and I’m happy to support the TuneCore Grant, giving an opportunity for Punjabi artists to shine. Independent artists in Punjab, in India, and across the world are changing the global music landscape and an opportunity like this will encourage young talent to keep expressing themselves and pursuing their dreams.”

    In the following months, new editions of the Grant that turn to other parts of India focusing on Tamil, Telegu, Gujarati, Bengali, Kannada and other languages from India can be expected.  

     

  • TuneCore announces grant to award for India based-artist

    TuneCore announces grant to award for India based-artist

    Mumbai: A digital music company and a leading automated distribution division, TuneCore, have announced the funding of a grant for India-based music creators.

    The TuneCore Grant is a cash endowment of Rs 1,00,000 that will be awarded to one selected artist. Submissions for the grant will be accepted from 15 November to 15 December 15. Grant applications from artists should include an original single that can be in any language and genre.

    Artists who participate and submit their singles will be judged based on their talent and potential by a panel of industry experts, including Spotify head of artist and label partnerships Padmanabhan NS, Lexic founder and entertainment lawyer Sandhya Surendran, UnderTheRada founder and CEO Rahul Sinha, Maed In India founder Mae Mariyam Thomas, Indian Performing Rights Society head of marketing, communication, & member relations Rumpa Banerjee, Turnkey Music & Publishing managing director Atul Churamani, Wild City and music festival Magnetic Fields co-founder Sarah Elizabeth Chawla, celebrated chart topping and award-winning artist Nikhita Gandhi, and TuneCore’s head of South Asia Heena Kriplani.

    TuneCore CEO Andreea Gleeson said, “The Indian music market is robust with talented independent artists, and I’m excited that, by offering financial support in the form of the TuneCore Grant, we are able to provide a rising artist with the resources to continue to create work that inspires and resonates with audiences around the world.”

    TuneCore South Asia head Heena Kriplani commented, “Despite the difficulties presented by the pandemic, music creators have continued to inspire and persevere. As part of TuneCore’s ongoing efforts to eliminate barriers faced by independent artists, we are excited to fund this new grant and remind our artists that we are here for them.”

    Earlier this year, TuneCore unveiled the new unlimited program, allowing constant music creation to be made more accessible for all artists by giving them the ability to release an unlimited number of singles and albums for one flat annual price. The unlimited program gives artists the freedom to create more music and experiment with different release strategies to advance their careers and feed their growing fan bases. Even those sensitive to pricing can experience TuneCore’s expertise in independent distribution and become eligible for upstream distribution through Believe’s Label & Artist Solutions or Believe Artist Services divisions’ “Signed By” program which has benefited over 400 TuneCore artists globally.

  • Believe India ropes in Pitchfork Partners as strategic communication counsel

    Believe India ropes in Pitchfork Partners as strategic communication counsel

    Mumbai: World’s leading digital music company Believe India on Tuesday appointed Pitchfork Partners Strategic Consultancy LLP as its communication counsel. The agency will manage its brand strategies in India.

    Pitchfork will work closely with Believe India to strengthen its brand awareness and engagement for its services across – artist services, label and artist solutions, TuneCore, and Ishtar with relevant stakeholders across the country. It will also drive and support Believe’s mission to develop independent artists and labels with their unique offerings and solutions, at each stage of their career and development, with respect, fairness, and transparency.

    Since entering the market in 2013, Believe India has become one of the leading players in the Indian music market through organic growth and acquisitions. Believe acquired Venus in 2019 (renamed Ishtar in 2021) and recently acquired a majority stake in Think Music, a leading south Indian-based music label to strengthen its position in the region. The group now operates the full range of solutions from TuneCore to artist services to develop local independent artists in one of the world’s fastest-growing recorded music markets.

    Pitchfork Partners is a consulting organisation working to strengthen the reputation of its clients. They consider themselves a reputation warrior, helping scale leading music companies by providing tailored solutions for the artists, and labels, with the help of marketing and communication veterans. This collaboration will be beneficial since Pitchfork Partners are experts in the entertainment and music space and will only help Believe reach out to the targeted audience.

    Speaking of this association, Believe India director Vivek Raina said, “We are excited with our association with Pitchfork Partners. Their experience and understanding of the industry align with Believe’s objectives and will help us reach emerging independent artists and labels in the digital world. We are focused on building a community in which independent artists and labels will get a platform and partnership to build their fanbase and enhance their revenues in the digital world.”

    Pitchfork Partners co-founder Jaideep Shergill said, “We are delighted to work with Believe India, given its leadership position in this competitive industry. It’s a great opportunity for us to drive their messaging across audiences in the country. We look forward to reaching new heights with Believe.”