India has lengthy been a precedence for Warner Music Group, as evidenced by the variety of M&A offers struck by the corporate out there.
WMG’s strikes in India embrace a strategic funding in JetSynthesys’ World Music Junction in April 2024.
It additionally acquired India-based artist administration and stay occasions firm E–Constructive in October 2023 and purchased a majority stake in digital media and music firm Divo in February 2023.
Now Divo Music, which has over 4.2 million YouTube subscribers and is claimed by Warner to be “one among India’s main music and content material enterprises”, has launched a brand new label devoted to unbiased music out there.
By way of Loopd, with Warner Music Group’s backing, Divo goals “to find, empower, and amplify contemporary expertise from throughout the nation,” serving as “a launchpad for genuine voices and unique sounds from India to the world”.
In line with the businesses, Loopd can be “backed by Warner Music Group’s world experience, distribution community, and market attain”.
“Loopd will permit its artists to entry worldwide audiences whereas remaining rooted of their unbiased spirit,” the businesses added in an announcement.
Warner and Divo famous that the launch comes at “a pivotal time when non-film and unbiased music is experiencing fast progress in India, fuelled by streaming platforms and evolving viewers preferences”.
They added that Loopd is strategically positioned to faucet into this shift by “showcasing various new voices and catering to listeners looking for music that goes past conventional film-driven content material.”
The assertion added: “Loopd is constructed on the ideas of originality, high quality, and creativity. By collaborating carefully with unbiased musicians, the label will provide artists the assets and visibility wanted to thrive whereas enabling their distinctive tales and sounds to succeed in audiences throughout India and past. With Loopd, the way forward for India’s indie music motion has discovered a brand new dwelling.”
The label’s debut launch is Nizhal by Adhithya RK, unveiled by Malayalam famous person Mohanlal.
It is going to be adopted by releases together with Parota and Beef that includes Tuhin, Prema that includes Junaid Kumar, Hiraaya that includes Samuel Paul, and Peraasaye that includes Pradeep Kumar.
“That is about constructing a motion, not only a label. Being a part of Warner Music, our purpose is to blur the strains between indie credibility and mainstream success.”
Shahir Muneer, Divo
Shahir Muneer, Founder & Director of Divo, mentioned: “Loopd is constructed with artists at its coronary heart. We wish to empower unbiased musicians with the fitting assets, visibility, and attain, whereas letting them keep true to their creativity.
“That is about constructing a motion, not only a label. Being a part of Warner Music, our purpose is to blur the strains between indie credibility and mainstream success.”
“Impartial and regional voices are shaping the longer term, and with this label we’re making a platform that celebrates originality whereas connecting artists to world audiences.”
Jay Mehta, Warner Music
Jay Mehta, Managing Director, Warner Music India & SAARC, added: “Loopd strengthens our dedication to India’s various music tradition.
“Impartial and regional voices are shaping the longer term, and with this label we’re making a platform that celebrates originality whereas connecting artists to world audiences.”
Final yr, WMG CEO Robert Kyncl informed analysts on the corporate’s calendar Q3 earnings name that India “will turn into an more and more influential world pressure within the music enterprise”.
He highlighted the hole between the dimensions of the market’s GDP (the world’s fifth largest) versus the dimensions of its recorded music market (the world’s 14th largest).
Kyncl argued that this hole will shut, pointing to the chance in subscription music streaming. He famous that solely 2% of the nation’s 1.4 billion inhabitants presently subscribe to music streaming providers, however that India’s complete subscriber quantity has grown 40% over the previous yr.
WMG formally launched Warner Music India in March 2020.
Elsewhere out there, WMG took a minority stake in ticketing platform SkillBox in December, simply a few weeks after Kyncl revealed by way of an Financial Occasions article that WMG is actively looking for M&A alternatives in India.Music Enterprise Worldwide
