To bolster engagement on its music streaming platform Wynk Music, Airtel Digital has launched a new feature, Wynk Studio, to curate independent artists on its platform.

Independent artists can upload music independently onto Airtel Digital’s music streaming app, with the company committing to foster a streaming ecosystem, where independent musicians have an equal chance to be discovered as bigger artists.

As per the company’s press note, “The studio plans to launch 5,000 independent artists on the platform in the next year. This will bring forward unknown talent stymied by the music industry’s three most-pressing problems — discovery, monetization, and analytics — which together determine the difference between success and failure in the Indian music industry.”

Wynk has earmarked ₹100 crores to promote local talent on the application. Airtel Digital is one of the youngest verticals of the telecommunications giant, Bharti Airtel, comprising businesses such as Wynk Music, Airtel Xstream, Ads, and Airtel IQ.

Nair said the vertical has current revenue of ₹1,000 crores. 

However, he did not disclose the exact contribution of Wynk Music to the overall revenue. He observed that the streaming app aims to increase its monthly active user base from 75 million to 100 million in the next fiscal year. 

He claimed that a majority of the streaming company’s users reside in Tier 2 and Tier 3 geographies. Moreover, non-metro geographies will continue to remain the focus areas for growth for the next two years. 

Through the Wynk Studio, the company wants to curate a wider range of music content for users, including regional content. Nair noted that this feature will add another revenue stream for Wynk Music. The company will also earn commission as it plans to promote the independent artists’ music on other platforms in India as well as around the globe.