58 mins ago
Music-Tech Startups Help Indian Indie Artists Go Label-Free
Music labels used to be the main way for artists to get their songs heard.
Labels often received ownership of the songs in return for helping musicians.
New companies such as Madverse and Damroo offer many of the same services online.
They can put songs on streaming apps, collect royalties and help with promotion.
Artists can use these services while keeping some or all ownership of their master recordings.
This is happening as more Indian musicians create songs outside the film industry.
Madverse says it now works with more than 200,000 artists and labels in over 45 countries.
These platforms make money from subscriptions, royalties and extra services.
Other companies, including TuneCore, DistroKid and CD Baby, offer similar support worldwide.
Madverse and Damroo provide independent artists with distribution, royalty collection, rights administration, marketing and audience-building services.
The platforms allow musicians to reach Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and other major services without necessarily giving up ownership of their master recordings.
India has more than 40,000 active music creators producing tens of thousands of original non-film tracks each year.
Madverse says it has onboarded more than 200,000 independent artists and labels across over 45 countries.
The companies earn revenue through subscriptions, royalty shares, publishing administration, sync licensing and other artist services.
- Who
- Independent musicians and labels, supported by music-tech companies including Madverse and Damroo.
- What
- Digital platforms are providing distribution, royalty collection, rights administration, marketing and other services traditionally associated with record labels.
- Where
- India, with Madverse serving artists and labels across more than 45 countries.
- When
- The shift is described as taking place now; Madverse crossed 100,000 artists within two years of launch, exceeded 150,000 by early 2026 and later reported more than 200,000.
- Why
- Independent artists need greater visibility, monetisation, rights protection and career support without necessarily surrendering ownership of their music.
Key facts
- Major platforms served
- Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and other major streaming services
- Indian independent creators
- More than 40,000 active music creators
- Madverse reach
- More than 200,000 independent artists and labels across over 45 countries
- Ownership model
- Madverse says musicians can retain up to 100% ownership of their masters
- Revenue sources
- Subscriptions, royalty shares, publishing administration, sync licensing, marketing and rights-management services
- Non-film music outlook
- Its share of Indian streaming is projected to reach 30–40% in coming years
- Comparable global companies
- TuneCore, DistroKid and CD Baby
Quotes
Rajesh Sethi
Partner and leader for media, entertainment and sports at PwC India
“The rise of music-tech platforms like Madverse and Damroo reflects a shift by which independent artists no longer need a traditional label to reach audiences at scale”
financialexpress.com
“It became obvious to us early on that the tools available to these artists were obsolete”
financialexpress.com
Sources
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