Managing Director, Believe – India & South Asia
Vivek Raina is the Managing Director for Believe India & South Asia and one of the key leaders driving the evolution of the digital music ecosystem in the region. With over two decades of experience across digital music distribution, telecom VAS, and label services, he has shaped Believe’s strategic and operational expansion since 2013. He established the company’s foundation in India and South Asia, building strong business verticals across Label & Artist Solutions, Artist Services, and the DIY distribution platform TuneCore.
Under his leadership, Believe has grown rapidly, now operating with a workforce of over 250 music industry professionals across the region. The company owns major labels such as Ishtar Music (formerly Venus Music), Think Music in South India, and WhiteHill Music in Punjab. Vivek has overseen multiple key partnerships, catalogue acquisitions, and the company’s entry into new segments like Bollywood OSTs and regional label alliances, positioning Believe as a top-tier music powerhouse in the country.
Early Career & Music
In his early career, Vivek Raina built deep expertise in digital content, mobile-based music services, and distribution models during the shift from physical to digital music in India. He worked in senior roles across telecom VAS marketing, digital distribution, and label services, developing a strong understanding of licensing, content monetization, and industry partnerships.
Although he does not come from a traditional music performance background, Vivek’s early exposure to the technological side of music gave him a rare blend of creative empathy and business acumen. This combination later became essential in shaping an artist-first, tech-enabled approach at Believe.
Strategic Leadership
Vivek’s leadership journey took a major turn when he established Believe’s India and South Asia operations in 2013. He effectively became the architect of Believe’s local business, setting up the team, infrastructure, partnerships, service offerings, and long-term strategy from the ground up.
He built a scalable and sustainable model that addressed the needs of India’s rapidly growing independent music community. Over time, Vivek Raina transformed Believe into a leading full-stack music company in the region, offering everything from DIY distribution (TuneCore) to high-end label services, publishing, sync, marketing, and artist development.
His leadership style has consistently centered on fairness, transparency, respect for creative freedom, and empowering artists and labels in the digital world.
About The Company
Believe is a global digital music company dedicated to supporting independent artists and labels with distribution, marketing, promotion, artist development, and comprehensive digital solutions. In India and South Asia, Believe operates across a wide spectrum, from major label acquisitions to regional imprints, publishing, and in-depth artist services.
The company’s India portfolio includes Ishtar Music, Think Music, and WhiteHill Music, alongside its global assets. Believe also runs TuneCore India, one of the fastest-growing DIY distribution platforms for independent artists. The company has expanded into regional music markets, strengthened its presence in Bollywood OSTs, and launched new divisions focusing on artist development, sync, and brand partnerships.
Impact & Vision
Vivek Raina has been instrumental in reshaping the Indian music landscape by giving independent artists, regional music creators, and non-film talent a global platform. Under his leadership, Believe has reinforced the importance of equitable revenue models, data-driven strategies, and fair representation for artists from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds.
His vision is rooted in building a transparent, artist-first ecosystem that nurtures talent at every stage from emerging creators using TuneCore to established labels scaling through Believe’s advanced services. He aims to accelerate the global presence of Indian and South Asian music, ensuring the region’s multilingual and multi-genre talent can compete on the world stage.
