iWorld
Qyuki and A. R. Rahman launch Jammin on YouTube
MUMBAI: YouTube is a global platform for independent media artists and many have achieved star status driving millions of views everyday. In India, Qyuki a leading creator focussed multi-platform media company today unveiled Jammin’, a unique digital collaboration between YouTube’s leading music creators and bollywood’s iconic composers including Grammy and Academy Award Winner A. R. Rahman, Salim-Sulaiman, Clinton Cerejo and Mithoon.
Jammin – presented by Airtel and Signature, will bring together YouTube’s top musical talent SANAM, Shraddha Sharma, Siddharth Slathia,Jonita Gandhi, Arjun Kanungo, Maati Baani, Sanah Moidutty, Raaga Trippin and Mumbai’s Finest collaborating with four of Bollywood’s most accomplished music composers to create ten original soundtracks and music videos.
The first music video is scheduled to release on 19th August, with a new original music video releasing every week thereafter, culminating into a mega live concert at the NSCI Dome in Mumbai on 11th November. All the music video’s will be curated on the Jammin’ channel on YouTube.
Speaking about Jammin’, Co-founder and MD of Qyuki, Samir Bangara, said, “Jammin’ represents Qyuki’s vision of empowering creators to challenge the status quo. We are super stoked to launch the first ever mega collaboration between the world of Bollywood and YouTube stars and are grateful for YouTube’s backing to make this one of the biggest musical properties to be launched in India”
Speaking at the launch of Jammin’, co-founder of Qyuki and India’s music maestro, A. R. Rahman said, “YouTube has created an amazing platform for artists to reach their audiences, and independent creators need the backing of a partner to bring discoverability and scale to their talent. Through Jammin’ I am glad Qyuki is being able to be that true partner to creators and bring them on a level playing field with mainstream music.”
Speaking about Jammin’, YouTube in India head of entertainment Satya Raghavan said, “There has never been a better time to be an Independent artist on YouTube. Some of these artists posted their first video from their bedrooms and today it’s really exciting to see Qyuki bring India’s most popular music composers to work together with these talented creators on a canvas as large as Jammin’. We hope this will inspire many more talented artists in the country to start their journey on YouTube and find success.”
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
