Spotify India recently hosted an event to encourage independent musicians and labels, where Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi, the singer-actor shared tips and stories of his journey to the limelight. Joining him on the Spotify India panel was Padmanabhan NS, head of artiste and label partnerships, Santosh Kumar, vice president of Think Music, Ravoofa HK, founder of Media Masons and Chennai-based independent musician, Aryaman Singh also known as Sunflower Tape Machine. The event was a way for the panel to open up a dialogue and discuss the possibilities for independent creators out there.
Aadhi shared his story of overcoming the haters and trolls of his early days in the industry, seemingly motivating the audience to ‘make art and the rest will follow.’ Highlighting the use of technology in the music industry today, he said it is essential for artists to leverage platforms like Spotify to access wider audiences. Padmanabhan noted how music has a powerful effect in changing people’s perspective and compared it to being a weapon of sorts – revolutions always have an anthem. Ravoofa highlighted the advantage of independent artists in that they are free from guidelines and deadlines compared to labels and filmmakers; and Sunflower Tape Machine spoke of the importance of patience and consistency in any artist’s journey to success. Finally, the event concluded with the launch of Spotify’s ‘Radar Tamil’ playlist, featuring the best Tamil independent artists each month, to facilitate discoverability on the streaming platform.
Spotify is an international platform that offers digital music, video and podcast streaming services. Launched on October 7th 2008, the app currently has 248 million active users across the world, including India. With services like Spotify for Artists, Spotlight, Wrapped, Radar and Discover Weekly, it is encouraging independent creators worldwide to have their music heard.
Hiphop Tamizha Aadhi is a renowned singer, actor and songwriter from Tamil Nadu. He gained fame for the release of his independent music almost a decade ago and is now working on films and other projects too. He is celebrated for his catchy yet simple songs which have bombarded the music industry and achieved great success. Adaam Chienawi, an actor who has completed over 62 songs as Hiphop Tamizha, remains one of the most popular independent music icons in India today.