MUMBAI: Roposo is India’s LIVE platform, owned by Glance, a subsidiary of InMobi that has more than 500 live streamers and 80 million active users. Roposo’s vision is to be the go-to pop-culture driven LIVE entertainment destination for people across the globe, and to this end, Roposo’s creators have been successfully entertaining and inspiring millions of viewers every day across various topics such as music, lifestyle, fashion, sports, travel among others.

Roposo recently partnered with Musicathon as the official streaming platform for the two-day indie music festival held in Bir, a picturesque hill station. Musicathon is renowned for its celebration of the union between music and mountains, featuring emerging artists from diverse states and cultures of India. These artists exude the true spirit of music while performing for travellers.

Roposo is actively seeking partnerships with properties that inspire and fuel the passion of today's millennials. Music is a significant passion point for this demographic, and Roposo's association with Musicathon as the official streaming partner demonstrates its unwavering commitment to connecting with young audiences.

Platforms like Roposo play a pivotal role in promoting and showcasing musicians by providing them with increased exposure and recognition.

To get a clear vision of what Roposo’s future plans are, we had a candid chat with Mansi Jain, Senior Vice President and General Manager where she has explained how the brand has leveraged music as a touch point for its creators to forge a deeper connection with their audience.

1. You recently collaborated with Musicathon. Could you tell us more about the association and the response that you'll got on the platform?

Roposo proudly partnered with Musicathon as the official LIVE partner. This collaboration provided audiences across India with a virtual and complimentary access pass to the entire festival, allowing them to enjoy all performances, behind-the-scenes (BTS) content, music, and travel experiences throughout the event. This marked our fifth consecutive association with Musicathon, and in this edition, we witnessed an impressive turnout of over 1.8 million people who joined us LIVE online, surpassing the 350 individuals who attended the physical event.

Moreover, our talented creators, Ash Daniel and Surjeet Singh, received invitations from the organizers to perform on the main stage as part of the festival's stellar lineup. Musicathon discovered their exceptional abilities during various Roposo events, such as Roposo Open Mic, Roposo Micdrop, and Roposo Hour, among others.

2. Please give us a glimpse of the role of key live streamers at Roposo.

Our live streamers have played a significant role in our growth journey and in our vision. They are our key trend setters and opinion leaders who add flavour to every show and build a deep, long-lasting relationship with our viewers and followers. They help not just build the community but keep the community together as well. Today, we have more than 500 streamers on our platform and 80 mn active users, and we are just getting started.

Roposo’s journey has been towards becoming a LIVE platform where users can have conversations and share opinions on various trending subjects with like-minded individuals, creators, and celebrities, in real-time. We are more than just a LIVE platform, we are a growing community that celebrates the feeling of togetherness, of experiencing things they love. So, whether one is into fashion, travel, sports, economics, or anything, Roposo has something for everyone.

3. What are the major challenges that the brand has faced over the years? How did you overcome them?

Over the years, Roposo shifted from the well-adopted, well-understood short video platform to a LIVE platform. One significant challenge was the novelty of LIVE content for creators and users who were accustomed to the established format of short videos. To overcome this, we had to adopt an innovative approach to product development and content creation, offering users and creators a fresh and distinct experience that stands out from the crowd. This necessitated our establishment within the ecosystem and drove us to innovate across our product, content, and overall user experience.

A second challenge was identifying and building the right live streaming talent, and groom in a way that they can deliver relatable, warm, authentic experiences, and be trendsetters across various subjects. Our live streamers’ abilities to build real, authentic connections with our users are key to building an ever-lasting community.

4. How is Roposo elevating itself with respect to consumer engagement?

Roposo is building large-scale, close-knit user communities who are deeply interested in certain trends and topics, thus encouraging real-time participation and interactions. We are elevating consumer engagement by being trends and topics first as a platform which means that we surface hot and sought out of topics of user interest. Further, our LIVE proposition enables moment consumption in a relatable and authentic manner.
 
Moreover, our product features are designed to promote user engagement and sustain their interest over a prolonged period. We prioritize user interaction, providing an environment that facilitates meaningful connections and conversations.

5. What are your plans for artistes / live streamers w.r.t music?

Indie music holds a prominent position in our music category, and we are dedicated to further enhancing it. We plan to strengthen our focus on events and festivals, providing valuable opportunities for our streamers to perform offline, gain exposure, and continue enabling opportunities on Roposo LIVE. Additionally, we will be directing our attention to hip hop streamers as well, recognizing their unique talent and community.

Through these initiatives, artists from both indie and hip hop subcultures will have the chance to become trendsetters, showcase their original music to a wide audience, and foster close-knit communities.

6. How has music as a vertical grown for Roposo?

Music has emerged as a thriving vertical on our platform, showcasing remarkable growth and achievements. In 2022, more than 2300 hours of music was consumed on the platform, and also had renowned Bollywood singers like Lisa Mishra, RajaKumari, and Yo Yo Honey Singh, who have performed live on Roposo.

The success of Indie Music as a vertical has been extraordinary, with Musicathon serving as a testament to its popularity. Our live streamers have had the opportunity to connect with millions of music enthusiasts, establishing authentic relationships and solidifying our position as the go-to platform for music content.

To further enhance the music experience for our users, we introduced several popular intellectual properties (IPs) such as Roposo JamRoom, Roposo MIC, Roposo Gig, and Indie Rhythm. Additionally, events like Music All Day (M.A.D) have garnered appreciation from millions of users.

Our music streamers, who form the backbone of our platform, have experienced remarkable growth. For instance, Ash Daniel has become one of our top 10 creators, doubling his number of followers in just one year and accumulating over 1.2 million views. Similarly, Kritika Gambhir amassed an impressive 8.9 million viewers in 2022 alone.

7.  How is the platform pushing the boundaries of Live Entertainment?

Since transitioning from a short video platform to India's premier LIVE platform, Roposo has been steadfast in its pursuit of becoming the largest stage for live entertainment in the country. Our goal is to empower users to discover top-notch live content, engage in conversations, and share their opinions on trending topics alongside like-minded individuals and creators. Leveraging our integration with Glance and our investment in new technologies, we have the potential to establish ourselves as a leader in live streaming.

In the past year, we have forged partnerships with numerous music shows, concerts, and events, enabling Roposo to bring these experiences directly to people's fingertips from the comfort of their homes.

Roposo had an exceptional year in 2022! We witnessed a substantial increase in our user base, and our viewers consumed over 2,270 hours of captivating music content and more than 1,200 hours of cutting-edge fashion content. These two categories emerged as the most popular choices among Roposo users.

8. What does Roposo truly believe in?

Roposo is a dynamic LIVE platform that fosters conversations and enables users to express their opinions on the latest trending topics with like-minded individuals and creators.

As a hub for LIVE conversations, Roposo offers users the opportunity to engage and interact in real-time. However, Roposo goes beyond being just a LIVE platform. It serves as a thriving community that celebrates the sense of togetherness that arises from being part of a group of people who share similar interests and passions. Users stay constantly updated on the hottest and most happening things in the realms they love, whether it's fashion, food, travel, sports, economics, or any other subject. Roposo ensures there's something for everyone.

9. What are your future plans and any brand partnerships in the pipeline?

In the coming years, we anticipate significant growth in the live-streaming market, fueled by the desire to be present in the moment and experience the latest trends, events, and topical discussions. For creators, going live offers a chance to showcase authenticity and forge enduring connections with their audiences.

Therefore, our objective is to enhance Roposo as a robust live-streaming platform, offering diverse and engaging LIVE experiences that cater to various communities and user interest areas. We aim to leverage the thriving industry and establish Roposo as a leading LIVE platform, catering to India's burgeoning Gen Z community of creators and users alike.