British music firm Virtuoso Music enters south Asia market with India launch

British music company Virtuoso Music has launched operations in India, marking its first entry into the South Asian market, the company said in a statement. Virtuoso is entering with an integrated model spanning original music creation, rights management, artist development and distribution.

"India has an extraordinary depth of musical talent across languages, genres and generations. We're here to work alongside that talent and build something of real and lasting value together," said Andrew Smith, Head of Digital Strategy at Virtuoso Music.

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The company said it would work with talent and rightsholders in India to develop, manage and release music, with direct investment in marketing and release infrastructure for each project, alongside sync licensing. It added that it would focus on brand partnerships and international placement opportunities to extend the reach of Indian content into global markets.

Catalogue management for existing rightsholders will also form part of Virtuoso's India offering, giving established catalogues access to the company's rights management and distribution infrastructure, the statement said.

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"We believe the future of the music ecosystem lies in ensuring that the people who create music have a genuine share in the success of their work," said Sahaj Miya, Head of New Business & Music at Virtuoso Music.

India's music segment grew 10 percent in 2025 to reach ₹59 billion, according to the FICCI-EY Media and Entertainment Report 2026, with a forecast compound annual growth rate of 9 percent through 2028, taking the market to approximately ₹75 billion. The country had around 178 million audio-streaming users in 2025, with growth driven by streaming adoption, a young mobile-first listener base, and regional-language catalogues with growing international reach. India's position as one of the world's largest and fastest-growing music markets has made it a priority for international music companies seeking long-term growth.

Virtuoso said it will announce its first set of artists and industry partnerships in the coming months. The company currently has content across Hindi, Punjabi, Tamil and Telugu in production, planned for release in early 2027.

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