MUMBAI: When Chai Met Toast, Taba Chake. Familiar names to the masses, and very well known to the indie music community and fans, but not so long ago they were just starting out, working their way up for a chance in the spotlight. To be a part of this growth journey of India’s independent artists, Spotify is excited to launch RADAR in the country; the initiative is already live in several other markets of the audio streaming platform.

Through RADAR, Spotify’s global emerging-artist program, the brand is deepening its commitment to emerging artists at all stages of their development, and strengthening their connection to audiences. With this, Spotify will continue to build on its history of working with emerging artists through 19 sister programs featuring up-and-coming creators from more than 50 markets worldwide, all focused on helping artists from around the world reach the next stage in their careers.

The launch of the program brings a mixture of Spotify’s best-in-class editorial and marketing abilities. Our playlists feature new and emerging talent from around India, and our marketing campaigns provide fans with the opportunity to get to know their new favourite artists. This campaign includes a wide range of support for artists including inclusion in Spotify owned and operated playlists in India and internationally, appearances on the cover of the RADAR playlist alongside visibility through Spotify’s in-app mobile banner; this banner will be on the homepage of all listeners across multiple markets who follow and listen to this artist or similar artists. And finally, these emerging artists will also have visibility on the streaming platform’s India social media channels.

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of RADAR in India, and excited to start this off with three incredibly talented local artists Mali, When Chai Met Toast and Taba Chake”, said Padmanabhan Nurani, Spotify’s Head of Artists and Label Partnerships in India.

“RADAR is our flagship program that’s committed to giving the up-and-coming artists a stronger local and global audience through the platform. It’s a stepping stone for artists to work with an established music label, or even for the Indian film industry if they want; the potential is huge. This initiative is another way in which Spotify is enabling the growth of the artist community; a small but right step to amplify India’s Indie music growth”, he added.

Speaking about being the first Indian artist to release a new single ‘Age Of Limbo’ on Spotify’s RADAR, Mali aka Maalavika Manoj said, “It’s really exciting to be the first Indian artist to launch music through Spotify’s RADAR program. It’s a great initiative for Indian independent music and artists to reach out to a new fan base in India, and across the world. I released my new single recently and it is being heard more in Sydney than it is in my own hometown of Chennai!”

“Spotify’s RADAR is probably the only platform to bring a non-exclusive and 'artist-first' program to effectively promote independent music to many more Indians and discerning audiences in the world. We hope that, with this initiative, India will be able to produce more artists who are not just popular among the global diaspora, but by all across the world”, said When Chai Met Toast, a band which saw its streaming revenues triple with Spotify’s entry in India.

Taba Chake said, “I am very excited and grateful to be among the first few artists in India to have Spotify’s support through this brilliant initiative. I think RADAR, as a platform, is something that’s much needed for independent artists and our music. As an artist, I always hope to share my music with audiences around the world. And Spotify’s RADAR allows my music to be discovered by new listeners globally. I think the program is incredible for emerging artists to launch their careers, without limitations”.

Here’s a little about the initial line-up of local artists on Spotify’s RADAR in the first three months starting May 2020.

• Mali is a Mumbai-based singer/songwriter whose music combines inspiration from iconic pop acts such as The Carpenters, The Eagles, and Fleetwood Mac, with the indie and electro-pop stylings of the 80’s, 90’s, and onwards. She tells personal stories through her music, finding unconventional yet relatable topics to write about.

• When Chai Met Toast is a 4 piece band from Kerala, India. With a unique mix of english folk influenced instrumentals and multilingual lyrics, the band has defined a genre of their own and is popular for creating soul stirring tunes and music that elates the listeners’ mood.

• Taba Chake is an Indian fingerstyle guitar player, singer-songwriter and a performer who comes from a Nyishi tribal family in Arunachal Pradesh. Inspired by tribal folklore and his intimate connection with nature. Chake is known for his unique vocals, songwriting and performing style. He sings and writes in Hindi, Nyishi, and English.

Tune in to Spotify’s RADAR India playlist and give Mali’s latest single, ‘Age of Limbo’ a listen.