iWorld
Hoopr and Universal Music India launch artist accelerator programme
MUMBAI: India’s independent music scene just got a serious power chord. Hoopr, the country’s leading music licensing platform, has teamed up with Universal Music India to roll out an industry-first Artist Accelerator Programme aimed at nurturing the next generation of homegrown musicians. The initiative promises more than applause. It offers money, mentorship and a clear path to getting heard and paid.
Designed for emerging independent artists, the programme tackles the usual roadblocks head on. Selected musicians will receive end-to-end support across publishing, distribution, sync and micro-sync opportunities, along with brand collaborations. In short, artists get to focus on making music while the machinery around them actually works.
A central part of the programme is the creation of a fresh catalogue of original tracks. These will be released on Hoopr’s YouTube channel Songfest and published on Hoopr Smash, its music-tech platform. Songfest has already built a reputation through collaborations with artists such as Monali Thakur, Shalmali Kholgade, Nikhil D’Souza and Ash King, alongside award-winning brand music projects.
There is also a nostalgic twist. Artists will be invited to reimagine iconic Universal Music India classics, with selected recreations set to drop on UMG India’s Revibe YouTube channel. Old favourites, new voices, fresh audiences.
Universal Music Group’s global distribution and marketing muscle, paired with Hoopr’s extensive independent artist community, creates a single launchpad for visibility and monetisation. For emerging musicians, that combination could be game changing.
Participants will be chosen through curated auditions open to Hoopr’s community of thousands of artists, with selections made by Universal Music India. Those selected will receive A and R guidance, studio access, mixing and mastering, music video production and sync opportunities facilitated by Hoopr.
Open to all genres and languages, the programme arrives at a moment when independent music is topping charts and brand partnerships are booming. It is a timely reminder that the future of Indian music is being built outside the mainstream, one bold track at a time.
Universal Music Group India and South Asia chief revenue officer Viral Jani, said the partnership reflects UMG’s artist-first approach and its commitment to discovering new talent from anywhere. Hoopr co-founder and CEO Gaurav Dagaonkar, called the initiative a long overdue breakthrough that brings fairness, scale and transparency to the indie music ecosystem.
For listeners, it means more new music. For artists, it could mean the difference between being heard and being forgotten.
iWorld
JioHotstar to launch micro dramas during IPL
Streaming giant plans free, ad-supported bite-sized stories during IPL to engage mobile-first audiences
JioHotstar is gearing up to launch a wave of micro dramas, eyeing India’s fast-growing appetite for bite-sized storytelling and new revenue opportunities. According to sources close to the matter, the streaming platform is expected to go live with the content during the Indian Premier League, which runs from 28 March to 31 May.
The move comes as the micro-drama market in India surges, with Redseer Strategy Consultants projecting the overall interactive media segment could reach $3.1–3.4 billion by FY2030, with micro dramas leading the growth. The format has already proven commercially viable abroad — China’s micro-drama sector generated $360 million in 2023, up 267 per cent year-on-year.
Micro dramas are designed for rapid consumption on mobile devices. Episodes typically run 60–90 seconds, shot in vertical 9:16 format, and rely on fast-paced plots and cliffhangers to keep viewers glued. Stories tend to revolve around high-stakes drama, from romance and revenge to corporate intrigue, blending social-media immediacy with professional production values.
Sources said the IPL provides the perfect launchpad, with millions tuning in to the platform for live cricket, creating a ready audience for short-form narrative experiments. The content will initially be free and accessible to all.
JioHotstar, which already boasts over 300 million subscribers, plans to roll out more than 100 micro dramas across multiple genres and languages, including Hindi and South Indian languages. The move is expected to strengthen its regional content strategy and appeal to mobile-first viewers, particularly in metro and Tier-1 cities where the format is currently most popular.
“The timing is perfect,” said a source close to the project, requesting anonymity. “With micro dramas on the rise, this is a chance for JioHotstar to experiment with new formats and engage audiences in a way traditional series cannot.”
The platform is not the first in India to test the format. ALTBalaji, StoryTV and Zee Bullet have all dabbled in short episodic storytelling. But JioHotstar’s scale — and its ability to pair content with one of the country’s biggest sporting events — could make it a defining moment for micro dramas in India.
With mobile consumption and vernacular content on the rise, the gamble seems clear: capture attention fast, keep it longer, and turn bite-sized narratives into a robust revenue engine.
Note: The cover image used is AI-generated.
