Digital music distribution, publishing and licensing company TuneCore has appointed Akhila Shankar to the role of Head of TuneCore, South Asia.
TuneCore, owned by Paris-headquartered digital music company Believe, says Shankar will be based in Mumbai, where she will report to Tash Shah, TuneCore’s Vice President, International, and to Vivek Raina, Managing Director, Believe India.
Shankar “will be responsible for growing and managing the company’s artist roster in the region and providing support through localization efforts, partnership opportunities, and the development of innovative marketing campaigns on behalf of TuneCore and its artists,” the company said in a statement issued on Wednesday (January 10).
Before joining TuneCore, Shankar served as Director, International at subscription podcast and audio company Luminary, where she led the company’s expansion and subscription growth in international markets, increasing Luminary’s footprint from 11 to 60 global markets, TuneCore said.
Prior to Luminary, she spent more than seven years at JioSaavn, which bills itself as “India’s leading audio streaming service with over 100 million monthly active users.” Shankar served in a number of roles there, including Director and Head – Brand, Comms and Marketing.
“In South Asia, there’s been a shift away from traditionally film-dominated music consumption towards independent artist fandom, while the growth of music streaming services and technologies have eliminated many of the barriers to entry that once existed.”
Akhila Shankar, TuneCore
“The South Asian music industry consists of one of the most diverse and robust pools of talented independent artists in the world; one that TuneCore is constantly working to provide with resources, support, and guidance so that local South Asian artists can grow their careers both regionally and globally,” Shah said in a statement.
“With Akhila at the helm of TuneCore’s operations in South Asia, I’m confident that we’ll continue to grow as a company and witness the success of our many brilliant artists from India and beyond.”
“In South Asia, there’s been a shift away from traditionally film-dominated music consumption towards independent artist fandom, while the growth of music streaming services and technologies have eliminated many of the barriers to entry that once existed,” Shankar commented.
“TuneCore’s mission to serve local artists in their early stage plays a crucial role in empowering them to take their music to the world. I am excited to build on the solid foundation TuneCore has built in the region as we grow in India and expand into newer markets across South Asia.”
“The South Asian music industry consists of one of the most diverse and robust pools of talented independent artists in the world; one that TuneCore is constantly working to provide with resources, support, and guidance so that local South Asian artists can grow their careers both regionally and globally.”
Tash Shah, TuneCore
In a recent podcast interview with MBW, Believe CEO Denis Ladegaillerie stressed the company’s focus on developing and nurturing talent in the Indian market.
In India “historically Bollywood has been the dominant segment… where artists tended to sell their copyrights to movie production houses,” Ladegaillerie said.
“We came into India and said, ‘No, there is also a different model. You can develop in a way where you retain your copyrights and you participate financially in your success.’
“A lot of people came to me [during] my last trip [to India] and said ‘thank you very much,’ because that’s a transformation of the market that’s extremely positive; it’s fostering a new generation of artists and musicians in a way that they can make a living out of it.”
In the role of Head of TuneCore, South Asia, Shankar succeeds Heena Kriplani, who is leaving the company to relocate overseas.
“Building TuneCore South Asia from the ground up has been a tremendously fulfilling journey. As I hand the reins to Akhila, I am confident that she will continue to support TuneCore’s vision of empowering self-releasing artists to grow their careers, on their own terms,” Kriplani said.
Raina added: “We’re happy to have Akhila take on Heena’s mantle. With her wealth of industry experience and insights, I am confident that she will lead TuneCore India to new heights and significantly contribute to Believe’s leadership team in India.”Music Business Worldwide
