Virtuoso Music enters India with creator first growth strategy

MUMBAI: India’s music market is striking a new chord with global players. Sensing the rhythm of one of the world’s fastest-growing audio economies, UK-headquartered Virtuoso Music has officially entered India, marking its first expansion into South Asia with plans spanning original music, artist development, rights management and distribution.

The company is launching with an integrated business model that covers the entire music value chain, from creating and managing original content to developing talent and distributing music across global platforms. Repertoire in Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu is already in production, with the first releases scheduled for early 2027.

Rather than focusing solely on distribution, Virtuoso said it aims to introduce a creator-first model designed to align the long-term interests of artists, collaborators and business partners. The company believes the approach will encourage deeper creative relationships while building a more sustainable ecosystem for music creators.

“India has an extraordinary depth of musical talent across languages, genres and generations. We’re here to work alongside that talent and build something of real and lasting value together,” said Andrew Smith, Head of Digital Strategy at Virtuoso Music.

The expansion comes as India’s recorded music industry continues to gather momentum. According to the FICCI-EY Media and Entertainment Report 2026, the country’s music segment grew 10 per cent in 2025 to reach Rs 5,900 crore, and is projected to expand at a 9 per cent compound annual growth rate through 2028, taking the market to around Rs 7,500 crore.

India also had approximately 178 million audio-streaming users in 2025, driven by rapid streaming adoption, a young mobile-first audience and the growing global popularity of regional-language music catalogues.

Beyond developing new artists, Virtuoso plans to invest directly in marketing and release infrastructure for every project while pursuing sync licensing, brand partnerships and international placement opportunities to help Indian music reach global audiences. The company will also offer catalogue management services, enabling existing rights holders to leverage its distribution and rights management capabilities.

“We believe the future of the music ecosystem lies in ensuring that the people who create music have a genuine share in the success of their work,” said Virtuoso Music head of new business & music Sahaj Miya.

Virtuoso said it will announce its first wave of artist and industry partnerships over the coming months as it builds its footprint across India’s fast-expanding music landscape.