iWorld
A sound strategy musifie and Divo turn festivals into India’s indie launchpad
MUMBAI: If India’s festivals already have a soundtrack, Musifie and Divo want to decide who composes the next one. Musifie has announced a strategic national partnership with Divo, a Warner Music India company, to launch Musifie x Divo SoundQuest, a year-long, multi-genre contest IP designed to discover, develop and release independent music talent at scale.
The partnership will roll out six major contests every year, each aligned with India’s cultural calendar Holi, World Music Day, Independence Day, Navratri or Durga Puja, Diwali and Republic Day. The idea is simple but ambitious: turn every major cultural moment into a nationwide talent hunt that doesn’t end with a trophy, but with a finished song.
Unlike conventional competitions that crown a single winner, Soundquest selects nine winners across nine musical skillsets vocalist, composer, lyricist, arranger, guitar, keyboard, wind, percussion and bass. These winners collaborate to create one original single using musifie’s in-platform creation tools, from stem sharing and version control to contracts, credits and split sheets. The track is then mixed, mastered and released globally by Divo across streaming platforms, backed by marketing, PR and campus-led promotions.
At the heart of the initiative is a closed-loop framework that covers discovery, judging, collaboration, release and amplification. A 100-point evaluation rubric spanning technical skill, creativity, tone, groove and arrangement aims to bring transparency and industry-level rigour to the selection process, while ensuring that opportunities extend well beyond just singers.
The scale is designed to match India’s diversity. Soundquest will target college talent, independent musicians and creator communities across metros as well as Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, with a multilingual, multi-genre approach. Each contest runs on a 12-week campaign arc, ensuring sustained engagement rather than one-off spikes around festival dates.
Musifie founder Anil Joseph said the partnership addresses a long-standing gap in India’s indie ecosystem, where discovery rarely translates into long-term growth. Divo founder and director Shahir Muneer described the format as a national pipeline that combines cultural relevance with structured collaboration, while strategic consultant Soumini Sridhara Paul called it a blueprint for building sustainable artist ecosystems rather than fleeting talent hunts.
As India’s independent music scene grows louder and more crowded, Musifie x Divo Soundquest is betting that the future of discovery lies not in chasing virality, but in turning festivals into finish lines where talent doesn’t just get noticed, it gets released.
iWorld
Cineflicks set to enter India’s OTT market with community-first focus
New platform aims to blend streaming content with interactive viewing experiences
MUMBAI: A new player is gearing up to join India’s crowded streaming arena, with Cineflicks preparing to launch as a community-driven OTT platform aimed at redefining how audiences engage with digital entertainment.
The platform plans to offer a mix of movies, series and digital content, while placing equal emphasis on building an interactive ecosystem where viewers can connect, share and participate beyond passive viewing.
India’s OTT market has seen explosive growth over the past decade, fuelled by rising smartphone penetration and affordable internet access. As streaming becomes the default mode of content consumption, new entrants are increasingly looking to differentiate themselves not just through content libraries but through user experience.
Cineflicks appears to be positioning itself within this next phase of evolution. Instead of focusing solely on scale, the platform is aiming to create a space where audiences can engage more deeply with the content they watch, turning entertainment into a shared experience rather than a solo activity.
While details around its content slate remain under wraps, people familiar with the development say the platform is currently building out features and partnerships ahead of a phased rollout. The broader strategy suggests a blend of content discovery, community interaction and digital participation.
The timing is notable. With global and regional streaming platforms competing intensely for attention, the emphasis is slowly shifting towards engagement and retention rather than just acquisition. Platforms that can foster stronger audience connections may have an edge in this evolving landscape.
Cineflicks’ entry reflects the continued expansion of India’s digital entertainment ecosystem, where innovation is increasingly being driven by how content is experienced, not just what is offered.
As the platform moves closer to launch, the real test will be whether it can translate its community-first pitch into a compelling, everyday habit for viewers.
