An Interview with Hoopr CEO Gaurav Dagaonkar

An Unique Interview with Gaurav Dagaonkar, Co-Founder and CEO of Hoopr, India’s first devoted music licensing platform

In India’s booming digital creator financial system, music performs a robust position—however copyright stays a problem. Enter Hoopr, the nation’s first devoted music licensing platform, co-founded by musician-turned-entrepreneur Gaurav Dagaonkar.

On this interview, Gaurav shares his journey, Hoopr’s mission to supply secure, inexpensive music for creators, and the way the platform is remodeling the way in which India discovers and licenses sound.

What impressed you to begin Hoopr, and the way did your background in music affect the platform’s imaginative and prescient?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: After graduating from IIM Ahmedabad, I selected an unconventional path—skipping campus placements to observe my ardour for music. My journey started with my first hit music, Faculty Days, throughout my pupil years, and advanced right into a 15-year profession within the music business.

In 2018, I based Songfest, constructing music-led model options at scale. However in 2021, a turning level got here when a observe I had composed was utilized in a serious model marketing campaign—with out my consent, credit score, or fee.

That have was an eye-opener: if such a violation might occur to me, regardless of my community and expertise, the problem dealing with numerous different artists with out the identical sources was far larger. This realization grew to become the spark to construct options that shield and empower artists all over the place.

My analysis revealed a evident hole in India’s music ecosystem: the absence of a devoted platform that provided copyright-safe, high-quality, and culturally related music for native creators and types.

With the rise of social media and the creator financial system, this want grew to become much more pressing. To bridge it, I launched Hoopr—a platform that delivers inexpensive, premium, and copyright-compliant music whereas unlocking new income streams for artists.

In simply three years, Hoopr has collaborated with over 6,500 artists—starting from famend business names to folks and tribal musicians—driving greater than ₹4.5 crore in artist payouts.

On the opposite facet, we’ve empowered over 30,000 creators and almost 175 manufacturers to legally and successfully soundtrack their content material, constructing a fairer and extra sustainable ecosystem for music in India.

What challenges did you face whereas constructing a music licensing market in India, and the way did you overcome them? 

Gaurav Dagaonkar: The most important hurdle in constructing a music licensing market in India has been consciousness. Most creators and entrepreneurs stay unaware that utilizing music in branded content material—whether or not on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or commercials—requires correct licensing.

This lack of information has led to a tradition of non-compliance, with over 87% of branded movies counting on unlicensed music, leading to an annual business lack of ₹8,000–₹10,000 crore.

On the similar time, many artists and labels have been unaware of how extensively their work was being misused, or how licensing might generate sustainable passive revenue for them.

Misconceptions additionally persist: that licensing is prohibitively costly (when platforms like Hoopr Smash make it accessible beginning at simply ₹999), or that utilizing a music helps it achieve recognition—when in actuality, manufacturers normally select tracks which can be already trending and culturally related.

What enabled us to beat this problem was the distinctive mix of experiences I used to be in a position to deliver into Hoopr — a solution-oriented engineering basis, a strategic enterprise lens from IIM Ahmedabad, and over 15 years of expertise as a musician.

This combine helped us form Hoopr as a tech-driven, scalable platform that addresses important gaps in music licensing.

My credibility as an artist allowed me to rally the musician group, whereas my stint at Songfest gave me deep insights into how manufacturers method music. Collectively, these views have been pivotal in participating stakeholders and driving Hoopr’s progress.

How does Hoopr differentiate itself from world licensing platforms, particularly for Indian creators?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: Hoopr differentiates itself from conventional licensing companies and world music libraries by way of its deep deal with Indian music and a dedication to truthful, clear partnerships.

Our catalogue options Bollywood, impartial, and regional tracks throughout 20+ languages—all ethically sourced, totally licensed, and ruled by clear agreements.

In contrast to world platforms that usually purchase tracks outright, we collaborate with artists by way of rights societies reminiscent of IPRS and function on a revenue-share mannequin, guaranteeing truthful payouts for creators alongside full copyright compliance. One other key differentiator for Hoopr is our accessibility and lively ecosystem engagement.

With licenses beginning at simply ₹999, we make premium music inexpensive for each creators and types. Past licensing, we run consciousness campaigns, roadshows, and workshops to coach stakeholders on the worth of utilizing licensed music—an effort not often undertaken by world platforms.

Alongside micro-licensing for digital content material, our catalogue additionally helps movies, OTT reveals, and model campaigns, positioning Hoopr because the go-to selection for Indian creators and companies.

What are a few of the most memorable tasks or collaborations facilitated by Hoopr to date?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: Via Hoopr Model Options (HBS), we offer a consultative, end-to-end service that helps manufacturers determine the appropriate artist, choose the proper observe, and craft promotional methods that amplify attain.

On the coronary heart of that is our AMP (Artist–Music–Promotion) framework, which mixes artistic experience with data-driven insights to make sure music strengthens model identification and drives significant engagement. This method has been widely known by way of award-winning campaigns.

We’ve had the privilege of powering soundtracks for a few of India’s most acknowledged personalities and creators — from superstar chef Ranveer Brar and actor Ashish Vidyarthi to main digital creators like Flying Beast.

Our music has reached hundreds of thousands of viewers and listeners, together with on prestigious platforms such because the official YouTube channel of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, underscoring our robust pan-India presence.

On the model facet, our portfolio consists of each award-winning and culturally impactful campaigns. The Zara Muskura De soundtrack for Himalaya received the Folks’s Selection Award on the Dadasaheb Phalke Movie Competition.

Different standout tasks embrace ITC Bingo Tedhe Medhe’s Bhojpuri music video with Khesari Lal Yadav, Ultratech Cement’s Ek Ghar Banaunga, Too Yumm’s digital campaigns, and collaborations with platforms reminiscent of Zee TV, Pocket FM, and Myntra Studio.

Via Hoopr Model Options (HBS), we’ve additionally partnered with each world icons like Dwayne Bravo and Indian expertise like Monali Thakur, constantly delivering rights-safe, high-impact music that resonates with various audiences.

Are you able to describe the method of onboarding artists and music catalogues onto Hoopr?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: Our onboarding course of is rooted in equity, transparency, and high quality. On Hoopr Smash, the possession all the time stays with the label or the artist — we merely listing their music on our market underneath a revenue-share mannequin.

With micro-synchronisation as our core focus, we’re extremely selective in curating high-quality tracks. Now geared up to onboard artists and labels at scale, we’re taking a deliberate, regular method to make sure long-term worth.

For each main label we usher in, we intention so as to add round 5 smaller labels and 100–150 impartial artists, making a balanced and various catalogue. Presently, we host almost 550 impartial artists throughout genres like singer-songwriter, pop, and hip-hop.

Waiting for FY26, our focus shouldn’t be mass onboarding however worth creation: partnering with 4-5 main labels, 15–30 regional/smaller labels, and 1,000–1,500 impartial artists, whereas persevering with to bolster Hoopr Smash as a platform constructed for sustainable, long-term market affect.

How do you deal with copyright, royalty, and transparency considerations for each artists and customers on the platform?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: Hoopr tackles copyright, royalty, and transparency challenges by way of a rights-secured, technology-driven framework.

Each artist and label in our catalogue indicators formal agreements, guaranteeing that every observe is totally cleared for licensing.

For manufacturers and creators, this ensures freedom from authorized or reputational dangers tied to unlicensed music, with each use coated by an official license granting safe rights inside their challenge.

Our clear revenue-share mannequin ensures nearly all of licensing income flows on to artists, labels, and platforms.

We pay out royalties periodically, and our current partnership with IPRS provides an additional layer of assurance that rights-holders obtain their fair proportion. Since our inception, Hoopr has disbursed over ₹4.5 crore in royalties, benefitting greater than 1,500 artists throughout India.

What recommendation would you supply fellow entrepreneurs or musicians aspiring to enter the music-tech house in India?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: My recommendation to entrepreneurs is to deeply perceive the issue you’re fixing — it should deal with a actual want and carry clear market relevance.

Too usually, merchandise are constructed round points the market doesn’t even acknowledge as issues. In music-tech, the journey is very slow-moving, so endurance is vital, alongside equal measures of ardour and persistence. And above all, make sure that what you construct creates a real win–win for all stakeholders.

For musicians getting into the music-tech house, it’s important to develop a powerful understanding of your rights and the income streams obtainable to you.

Be taught the fundamentals of licensing, how platforms like Hoopr function, and the significance of being a member of rights organizations reminiscent of IPRS.

The deeper your information of the authorized, artistic, and business dimensions of music, the higher positioned you’ll be to safeguard your work, maximize earnings, and make knowledgeable selections that strengthen your profession.

With Hoopr, Gaurav Dagaonkar isn’t simply fixing a authorized hurdle however unlocking new artistic prospects. His imaginative and prescient bridges artistry and accessibility, empowering companies and creators alike to make use of music fearlessly.

As India’s digital content material panorama expands, Hoopr stands as a trailblazer—making licensed music easy, native, and impactful. Gaurav’s journey displays the way forward for music-tech in India’s digital period.

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