Hoopr And Universal Music India Launch Artist Accelerator Programme For Independent Musicians

Hoopr, India’s leading music licensing platform, has partnered with Universal Music India (UMI), a division of Universal Music Group (UMG), to launch an Indian music industry-first Artist Accelerator Programme aimed at nurturing and monetising emerging independent artists.

Designed as a structured, end-to-end initiative, the programme seeks to address some of the most persistent challenges faced by independent musicians—ranging from funding and distribution to visibility and sustainable income. Selected artists will receive comprehensive support across publishing, distribution, sync and micro-sync opportunities, as well as access to brand collaborations.

A key pillar of the initiative is the creation of a large catalogue of new original compositions. These tracks will be released via Hoopr’s YouTube channel, Songfest, and published on Hoopr’s music-tech platform, Hoopr Smash. Songfest has previously collaborated with established artists such as Monali Thakur, Shalmali Kholgade, Nikhil D’Souza and Ash King, and has delivered several award-winning brand music projects.

In a first-of-its-kind move, the programme will also allow participating artists to reimagine and recreate a curated collection of iconic tracks from UMI’s catalogue. These reinterpretations will be released on Revibe, UMG India’s YouTube channel focused on contemporary revivals of classic music.

By combining UMG’s global distribution and marketing capabilities with Hoopr’s extensive independent artist ecosystem, the programme aims to offer emerging musicians a unified platform that prioritises both creative freedom and monetisation at scale.

Participants will be selected through curated auditions conducted by UMG and made available to Hoopr’s community of thousands of artists. Chosen musicians will receive A&R guidance, studio access, mixing and mastering support, music video production, and sync opportunities facilitated by Hoopr.

Open to artists across all genres and languages, the programme launches at a time when independent music continues to dominate India’s charts and brand-led sync opportunities are expanding rapidly. The companies position the accelerator as a tech-enabled launchpad for the next generation of Indian music talent.

Commenting on the partnership, Viral Jani, Chief Revenue Officer, Universal Music Group India & South Asia, said, “Our partnership with Hoopr is a strategic and creative one. We pride ourselves on being an artist-first label, investing equally in discovering emerging talent and promoting global superstars. With Hoopr, we’ve found a perfect sync—its network of independent artists will have the opportunity to create new music on their own terms, especially when reimagining classics from the UMG catalogue. Combined with UMG’s global distribution, these artists can reach audiences around the world.”

Gaurav Dagaonkar, Co-Founder & CEO of Hoopr, added, “This programme represents a breakthrough moment for India’s independent artist community. For the first time, new musicians can receive the support they need to produce high-quality music, launch internationally, and earn through transparent avenues like sync and micro-sync. Our ambition has always been to build an ethical, opportunity-rich music ecosystem. This partnership with UMG sets a new industry benchmark and, we believe, will redefine how talent is identified, developed and scaled in India.”