With oodles of entrepreneurship, these startups may be music to your ears

Sunday November 12, 2017 , 3 min Read

Did you know that the music industry is seeing a huge boom in the number of startups working in the space? From the days of Napster and early iTunes to today’s market full of Spotify, Saavn, Soundcloud, and more, entrepreneurs and musicians have continuously looked for new ways to push the boundaries of the industry. There are plenty of new entrants trying to make their mark, with varying levels of success.

Source: Pexels

Whether you are an artist, an amateur or a someone looking to get started in the music industry, here are some startups to watch out for:

Kroomsa

A platform for independent artists and bands, Kroomsa is a music startup based out of New Delhi. Artists can upload their music which is then available for download and online streaming. Founded by Paras Chopra, Kroomsa lets you showcase your talent to the world, and also helps you get advertising. The platform gives away 20 percent of its ad revenue to NGOs, 40 percent to the artist or the band, and keeps 20 percent for itself.

Mavrix/MySwar

Mavrix was founded by Param Arunachalam a former Infosys employee. Mavrix has a single goal – to be India’s biggest music discovery engine. The core team of Mavrix – Thejesh GN, Santosh Patil, Gururaj Krishnappa, and Fidel Dsouza – have also created MySwar.com. According to them, MySwar by far has the most diverse range of any guide to Bollywood music as well as non-film music. MySwar is available for both Android as well as iOS. Their database also includes artist biographies, award information, and credits.

Saavn

Currently based out of the U.S., Saavn hardly needs any introduction in the Indian market. The company was founded in 2007 by Rishi Malhotra, Paramdeep Singh, and Vinodh Bhat. Over the years, this startup has acquired rights to over seven million music tracks. Saavn’s signature offerings are Saavn Pro, Saavn.com, Saavn music for iPhone, Saavn music for Android, and Saavn Radio. One of the most successful music startups, Saavn follows an advertisement-supported ‘freemium’ business model for generating revenue.

From Mug To Mike

From Mug To Mike was founded by Sunil Koshy, a trained singer as well as a techie. Koshy has recorded with leading musicians like Alwyn Fernandes, Ustad Faiyaz Khan, and Keith Peters and top lyricist Jayant Kaikini. He aims to pave a new road for potential singers with his startup. He conducts workshops where participants are given the opportunity to record at high-end studios. Furthermore, a detailed analysis is provided to participants that highlight the areas that need improvement.

This isn't a comprehensive list but enough to get you started. There are other startups like Happydemic, BC Jukebox, and SongPedia that will pique the interest of music lovers and artists.