Distrohunt is a Northeast-based global platform that assists self-releasing musicians market their songs.
"We are starting to see the growth of truly independent music in the nort east. Which is why we decided to focus on the south and be there for the young musicians who are starting their journey as an independent musician," Nation Chakma, Director of Distrohunt India, told TOP.
Nation said, in India, classification of music does not stop at genre level.
"That’s more of a western concept. While we have hip-hop and pop and rock and various other genres, there is another layer of nuance in India which is specific to the language in which people are communicating and expressing themselves. For instance, Kokborok music is a genre by itself," he added.
However, DistroHunt’s decision to micro-tune into regional languages happened from the second edition, Nation said.
The first Distrohunt grant, introduced in 2022, was open to musicians across India, irrespective of language or genre.
"For us the first edition was really about, let's just figure a model. Post the first edition, we realised that independent music in India is also very language focused, because that's how fans are discovering music. Even our streaming services are designed that way.
"You select the language that you want to hear your music in, you don't necessarily select the genre. So, in 2023, for our second edition, we decided to focus on Chakma and Kokborok artists," said Nation.
Selection of a language for focus involves an intense study of the market, he added.
"We look at a mix of data like what language artists are releasing their work in as well macro level data as to what's happening in the industry," said Nation.
For instance, the success of ‘Tw Shabai’, a Chakma independent song by singer Adarsha Chakma and Tuhina Chakma Distributes by Distrohunt company, Think Music’s indie label, Think Indie, played a role in zeroing in on Indian languages for the third edition, he said.
"When I won the grant for my song ‘Tw Shabai’, it gave me the confidence that I can make a mark in the contemporary music scene," said Adarsha, who sings under the Label Pottaputti Creation.
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