New Delhi: Javed Akhtar’s 81st birthday on 17 January became an extra special occasion with the launch of the music platform Goongoonalo, which is owned by artists.
Founded by Akhtar with Shankar Mahadevan, the platform also released 100 original songs by members.
The platform currently has a waitlist for both artists and consumers, who can join by filling out a form.
The songs have been created in a collaborative effort among singers, lyricists, composers, and producers without charging any fee.
The launch on 17 January saw the presence of stalwarts like Prasoon Joshi, Shreya Ghoshal, Sonu Nigam, Sameer Anjaan, Shaan, Papon, among 40 others.
“Other apps use songs that are already made. But this app is owned by the creators. The music directors, songwriters, and singers are the owners of it. Each of us will put in at least four new songs every year,” said Akhtar.
The launch of the app was announced on 5 May last year. Along with Akhtar and Mahadevan, technologist Sridhar Ranganathan is also one of the founders. Sherley Singh, who works with music rights management, is the CEO of the platform.
“Goongoonalo gives artists the freedom to create without the constraints of producers or music companies. It’s the first of its kind globally, where musicians, lyricists, and singers are shareholders. Artists will have complete creative freedom, and no committee will oversee their work,” Akhtar had said on the occasion.
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For free expression
Akhtar had played a key role in the introduction of the Copyright Amendment Act 2012. The amendment was a landmark decision aimed at ensuring fair revenue rights for lyricists and composers.
“The artists are owners of the platform and the context they put up on it. The revenue streams are going to be extremely transparent. Every song will have 9 revenue streams that artists can capitalise on,” said Mahadevan, explaining the app’s business model.
Shaan also took to the stage and mentioned a feature of the app called Gate Crash, which would allow the singers and composers to interact with the audience at the time of the release of the song, and get their comments and feedback.
“We will save the cream of our work for this platform. Nowhere in the world has there been such a music company created by artists–musicians, composers, lyricists, and singers. In Goongoonalo, we can finally sing the ghazals, thoughts, and songs that have been in our hearts for many years, but we were unsure whether they would be accepted commercially,” said Shaan.
The platform already features songs across many styles, from classical and folk to indie pop, ghazals, and spoken word. The idea is to allow artists to create music freely, without the pressure of creating a ‘hit’ song or a hook.
“Many times, we’ve had our mic and pens but by the end of the writing process, we were left wondering what it was we initially wanted to say. We’ve done a lot of commission work–now it’s time to commission our work to ourselves and say exactly what we had set out to express, ” said Joshi.
Goongoonalo will host conversations, workshops, masterclasses, and live sessions, allowing listeners to engage with music instead of just listening to songs.
(Edited by Ratan Priya)