spotlightmusicglobal

Spotlight: 10 South Asian Indie Acts to Watch After the Kobalt Partnership

ffuns

2026-01-30

12 min read

Post-Kobalt/Madverse, 10 South Asian indie writers & producers poised to go global — strategies to monetize, pitch, and showcase in 2026.

Hook: The discovery problem — and the Kobalt moment

It’s 2026 and the biggest barrier for many South Asian indie writers and producers isn’t talent — it’s discovery and fair pay. Fans are everywhere, but audiences and royalties are fractured across platforms, territories and opaque admin systems. The recent partnership between Kobalt and India’s Madverse changes that calculus: by wiring Madverse’s community into Kobalt’s global publishing administration, independent creators across South Asia suddenly get a clearer route to global royalty collection, sync opportunities and playlist visibility.

According to Variety (Jan 15, 2026), Kobalt’s deal with Madverse aims to give “Madverse’s community of independent songwriters, composers and producers access to Kobalt’s publishing administration network.”

Why this matters now (2026 trends you need to know)

Several industry shifts that matured in late 2024–2025 make the Kobalt–Madverse tie-up catalytic for South Asian indie acts in 2026:

Publishing admin is the new bottleneck: Global streaming growth slowed but publishing and sync revenue grew, so clean metadata and admin are more valuable than ever.
Short-form platforms are playlist factories: TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Reels continue to dictate song discovery — but those exposures only convert to real income if publishing is properly registered.
Sync demand exploded: Streaming platforms, games and ad agencies are hungry for authentic South Asian sounds across languages — from Punjabi hooks to Tamil electronic fusion.
Live+Virtual hybrid shows stuck around: Festivals and boutique showcases rebuilt post-pandemic with more global lineups, creating touring and sync windows for breakout acts.
AI tools shifted from threat to utility: By 2026, AI-assisted mastering and stem separation are standard tools in indie workflows — but rights clarity is critical when AI is in the chain.

10 South Asian indie writers & producers to watch after the Kobalt–Madverse deal

Below are ten independent acts — writers, producers and hybrid creator-producers — who already have the musical and strategic building blocks to scale globally with better publishing support. For each, we outline why they’re poised to break and the exact moves that could accelerate them now that global publishing channels are more accessible.

1. Ritviz — electronic-pop producer with viral hooks

Why to watch: Ritviz blends Indian melodic sensibility with club-ready production and short-format hooks that explode on social platforms. He’s already built a passionate fanbase across India and the diaspora.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: Cleaner publishing admin unlocks sync deals (ads, streaming promos) and ensures short-form uses generate publishing income.

Actionable play:

Package stems and instrumental versions for licensing libraries — follow best practices for stems and localization-ready assets.
Pitch upbeat 15–30 second hooks to ad agencies and game sound teams.
Run A/B tests with short-form snippets to find the viral 8–12 second motif.

2. Prateek Kuhad — indie songwriter crossing into global folk-pop

Why to watch: Prateek’s intimate songwriting and bilingual storytelling has historically resonated with western indie listeners and festival programmers.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: Ensures royalties from international streams and placements are collected reliably — a must for sustaining long-form touring and US/Europe festival runs.

Actionable play:

Develop an acoustic-centered sync package for film/TV music supervisors.
Target curated editorial playlists in geo-specific markets with live session exclusives.
Coordinate release windows with touring partners to maximize registration and publishing claims.

3. Taba Chake — indie folk guitarist with cross-cultural storytelling

Why to watch: Taba’s lyricism and guitar-forward arrangements are ripe for film and premium TV licensing that seek authentic regional voices.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: Faster reconciliation of mechanicals and public performance in multiple territories makes licensing less risky for international supervisors.

Actionable play:

Curate a 6–8 track sync reel (under 2 minutes per cue) with alternate language takes.
Work with local filmmakers to place music in regional cinema and then leverage placements to pitch global catalogs.

4. Nucleya — bass-heavy producer who brought desi EDM to festivals

Why to watch: Nucleya has legendary status for live production and bass-driven genre fusion; international festival curators prize that energy.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: As festivals and brands expand South Asian lineups, publishing clarity means bigger sync fees and safer remix clearances.

Actionable play:

Offer modular stems and high-energy interludes tailored for festival promos and athlete-licensed content.
Negotiate bundle deals for live branding packages (theme songs, trailer music).

5. Anik Khan — diasporic storyteller with global rap sensibilities

Why to watch: Anik’s hybrid identity and sharp writing cut through U.S. and UK markets; sync-friendly rhythmic hooks make him attractive to TV and streaming shows exploring diaspora narratives.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: Ensures split management across co-writers and producers when multiple territories and sampling claims appear.

Actionable play:

Build a clear chain-of-title for tracks that sample or interpolate traditional recordings.
Pitch tracks as character themes for streaming dramas or indie films exploring South Asian experiences.

6. Arooj Aftab (and similarly boundary-pushing vocalists) — ambient-jazz-fusion writers

Why to watch: Artists who fuse classical South Asian vocal traditions with ambient and jazz textures are gaining festival and film interest worldwide. Though Arooj is already recognized internationally, the class of artists working in this space stand to benefit collectively.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: Better administration supports cross-border syncs and keeps performance royalties flowing from niche venues, streaming platforms and classical festivals.

Actionable play:

License isolated vocal stems for use in soundtracks and experimental scores.
Pitch curated suites for wellness apps and premium playlists focusing on ambient and world fusion.

7. Sango-esque producers from the South Asian diaspora — beatmakers ripe for international collabs

Why to watch: A wave of mid-level beatmakers in the diaspora are producing textures that translate across R&B, hip-hop and pop; they’re modular collaborators for global artists seeking desi flavors.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: Publishing admin simplifies split sheets and producer shares when cross-border features multiply.

Actionable play:

Create a beat library with clear usage licenses and tiered pricing for indie vs. major syncs.
Attend hybrid showcases and co-write sessions with visiting international acts — use Kobalt’s network to facilitate rights transfers and collaborations, and combine those appearances with low-budget immersive event tactics for streaming capture.

8. Emerging Malayalam/Tamil indie writers blending film sensibility with indie songwriting

Why to watch: Regional-language indie writers who adopt cinematic approaches have a high chance of being picked up for streaming series soundtracks, especially as OTT platforms demand nuanced regional storytelling.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: Centralized publishing means easier negotiation for multi-territory uses on streaming platforms.

Actionable play:

Prepare bilingual stems and prove sync-friendly arrangements in media pitches.
Showcase at OTT-curated music programs; provide cue sheets upfront to speed placement.

9. Pakistani indie producers pushing experimental pop and electronic crossovers

Why to watch: Pakistan’s indie scene has been fertile ground for boundary-pushing producers whose textures and vocal collaborations translate well to global playlists and editorial features.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: Enabling secure cross-border royalty collection and clearer mechanicals for streaming platforms where usage spikes can be unpredictable.

Actionable play:

Work with international mixing/mastering engineers to meet global loudness and format expectations.
Submit tracks to global tastemaker playlists and pitch to indie film music supervisors.

10. Bangladeshi electronic and hip-hop producers with viral potential

Why to watch: From Dhaka’s underground to the diaspora circuits, producers in Bangladesh are crafting beats that fuse local cadences with global bass culture — a perfect combo for sync, gaming and short-form snippets.

How Kobalt–Madverse helps: By ensuring streaming and sync royalties are tracked in every territory where these beats get used or sampled.

Actionable play:

Create bite-sized loops and 15-second motifs optimized for short-form creation (remix kits, vocal-less loops).
Licensing partnerships with mobile gaming companies targeting South Asian and Southeast Asian markets.

How independent South Asian writers & producers should prepare to scale in 2026

Access to Kobalt’s global publishing network is a tool — not an instant ticket. Here’s a tactical checklist to turn clearer admin into real growth:

Clean metadata now: Ensure writer/producer credits, ISRCs, ISWCs, and split sheets are correct before submitting to any publisher or distributor — if you’re unsure how metadata maps to discovery, see keyword & entity mapping guidance.
Register with a PRO and global mechanical societies: If you’re in India, register with PPL/ISRA equivalents and check reciprocal representation in target countries.
Make sync-ready assets: Deliver stems, instrumental versions, and short cue edits (15s, 30s, 60s) so supervisors can audition your music instantly — organize files using localization & stem tooling best practices.
Create a one-page EPK and sync reel: Include licensing terms, previous placements, and contact info — host it on a simple landing page for supervisors and festival bookers with clear asset workflows (see multimodal media workflows).
Pursue targeted collaborations: Co-writes with diaspora artists can open editorial doors in the US/UK/Australia markets.
Use short-form data: Capture TikTok and Shorts performance metrics — they strengthen playlist and sync pitches; for teams scaling analytics, consider architectures like ClickHouse for scraped short-form data.
Sort out rights for AI tools: If AI tools are used in production, document usage agreements and consent for downstream licensing — review secure desktop & AI policy patterns such as those in AI agent policy reviews.
Get your catalog audit-ready: Work with a publisher or admin to reconcile past earnings and fix missing registrations — and set up fast settlement flows so small placements actually convert to usable income (instant settlements & micro-earnings).

Showcase and touring strategy in a post-2025 festival market

Live experiences are a two-way funnel: they build audience and create sync hooks for brands. Use these principles when planning showcases and tours in 2026:

Hybrid showcases: Combine a physical set with a simultaneous high-production live stream to capture both ticket and digital attention — consider low-cost immersive production options to reduce overhead (low-budget immersive events).
Regional routing: Plan micro-tours across diaspora hubs (London, Toronto, NYC, Dubai, Singapore) timed with festival appearances.
Brand packages: Create “festival-ready” audio IDs and performance tracks packages for promoters and sponsors.
Data-driven routing: Use streaming and short-form engagement heat maps to justify stops to promoters and sponsors.

Monetization beyond streaming — the publishing playbook

Streaming revenue alone rarely sustains a growing indie career. Here’s how publishing admin enables diversified income:

Sync licensing: Film, TV, ad, trailer and game placements often pay up front and generate royalties. Clear publishing increases trust and speed.
Performance royalties: International tours, radio and TV uses are tracked and collected when publishing is administered properly.
Mechanical royalties for physical and digital: Harsh realities in some markets still mean mechanicals are a steady revenue stream.
Work-for-hire and scoring projects: Publishing clarity makes it easier to negotiate fair upfront fees and backend splits — and creators can explore membership and micro-drop models to smooth income (micro-drops & membership cohorts).

Case example: How a quick sync can multiply an indie career

Imagine a Dhaka-based producer whose two-minute instrumental hook becomes a popular background on a viral short. With no publishing admin, that popularity yields social traction but negligible royalties and an inability to license for ads or shows. With Kobalt–Madverse style administration, that same hook can be registered, pitched to gaming and ad teams, and licensed globally — converting viral attention into upfront fees, performance royalties and new sync leads. That’s the multiplication effect we’re predicting for 2026.

Practical next steps for artists and industry allies

If you’re an artist, manager, label or promoter working with South Asian indie creators, here’s a 30–60–90 day plan to take advantage of expanded publishing channels:

Day 0–30

Audit catalog metadata and fix obvious gaps (ISRCs, ISWCs, writer credits) — if you need help mapping metadata to discovery and rights, see keyword mapping & entity signals.
Package a 3-track sync reel and stems for each track.
Sign up for analytics dashboards to track short-form performance.

Day 31–60

Submit the catalog for administration via a trusted partner (Madverse, indie publisher, or Kobalt where available).
Pitch tracks to 10 targeted sync supervisors and 5 playlist curators with concise briefs and usage rights — personalize outreach using modern email strategies (see email personalization tactics).
Plan a hybrid showcase in a diaspora hub timed to a release or festival window.

Day 61–90

Negotiate at least one paid sync or brand placement; use the case study to win more placements.
Set up recurring admin reports and claim any missed royalties uncovered in the catalog audit — and explore faster payout options to turn small fees into real working capital (instant settlements & micro-earnings).
Scale promotion around the placement — short-form, live clips, and a follow-up pitch to playlists and press. If you need to standardize capture and ingest for many clips, consider scalable scraping and analytics stacks such as ClickHouse for scraped short-form data.

Final thoughts: This is a systems moment, not just a signal

The Kobalt–Madverse partnership does more than create a new corporate line on a press release. It addresses structural problems that have kept South Asian indie music fragmented: inconsistent admin, opaque splits, and slow cross-border reconciliation. For artists who prepare their catalogs, build sync-ready assets, and lean into hybrid showcases, 2026 could be the year regional sounds become global staples in mainstream playlists, streaming soundtracks and brand campaigns.

Want to take action? Start here.

If you’re an indie artist or producer ready to scale:

Audit your metadata and create a sync reel today.
Package stems and 15–60 second edits for short-form use.
Contact a publishing admin (Madverse, global publishers like Kobalt, or trusted local partners) to explore catalog administration.

Funs.live is curating live showcases and virtual rooms in 2026 featuring many of the voices above — and we’re opening submissions for our next South Asian Indie Spotlight series. Want your act considered? Submit your EPK, sync reel and streaming analytics to our showcase team. If you’re a fan, RSVP for hybrid showcases and follow the playlist we’re updating weekly with the most promising South Asian indie tracks to watch.

Make the most of this publishing moment — clean your metadata, build sync-ready assets, and put your best hooks up for the world to find. With better admin, clearer splits and smarter pitching, the next wave of South Asian breakout acts will stop being regional stories and start shaping global pop culture.

Call to action

Ready to be discovered? Submit your tracks for our South Asian Indie Spotlight or follow our 2026 playlist — unlocked for industry pros and fans who want the first look at breakout acts. Click the submit button on Funs.live or sign up for our newsletter to get curated invites to hybrid showcases and sync clinics.

funs

Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.