TuneCore, owned by Believe based in Paris, has introduced the third edition of its TuneCore Grant program. This edition aims to support independent artists performing in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam languages by offering INR 100,000 to four selected artists. Interested musicians can submit their entries through the TuneCore India website from March 1st to March 31st, 2024.
The panel of judges, consisting of industry experts Sam C.S (music composer), Ghibran (music composer), Neha Nair (singer/songwriter), and Padmanaban N.S. (Head of Artist and Label Partnerships), will evaluate single submissions from the artists.
Originally launched in 2022, the TuneCore Grant program provides financial assistance to emerging independent artists to support their musical journeys. Over the past two editions, nearly 300 artists have participated in the program, submitting their singles for consideration.
Highlighting the program’s growth and its emphasis on South India this year, Akhila Shankar, Head of TuneCore, South Asia, noted, “We’ve seen a burgeoning independent music scene emerging from the South with more artists choosing to create music in their native tongue. With TuneCore Grant Punjabi, we saw that the program directly led to a 40% increase in the number of TuneCore artists releasing music in the language. With each edition of the Grant, we hope to encourage more artists to release independently, express themselves in their language of choice, and contribute to India’s robust, diverse culture.”
TuneCore artists in India release music in more than 25 local languages, and the four languages chosen for this edition of the grant represent some of the fastest-growing languages in terms of the number of releases per year.
Vivek Raina, Managing Director, Believe, India & South Asia, expressed Believe’s commitment to supporting local communities and artists singing in their local languages. He said, “As the independent music scene across the 5 southern states grows, we are committed to supporting artists at various stages through our network of services and programs.”
TuneCore’s VP, International, Tash Shah, added, “At TuneCore, our international strategy thrives on fostering vibrant local music ecosystems around the world. The expansion of the TuneCore Grant to South India exemplifies this commitment. We believe financial empowerment at the grassroots level unlocks their creative potential.”
Artists interested in applying for the TuneCore Grant South India can find submission details and additional information on the TuneCore India website and Instagram channel (@tunecore.ind). Grant applications from artists should include an original single in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, or Malayalam and are open to artists of all genres.