A new UK report on music tech funding reveals critical gaps in support for innovation. For India’s booming music market, these lessons aren’t just interesting; they’re an urgent wake-up call to build the infrastructure our creators deserve.
When Music Technology UK (MTUK) released its Sound Investments’ report earlier this month, one theme stood out: innovation in music tech is moving fast, but funding and policy support are still playing catch-up.
I found myself reading it less as a UK story and more as a mirror for India.
The UK’s Funding Landscape
The report doesn’t just celebrate startups experimenting with AI composition or next-gen royalty systems. It also highlights the gaps: fragmented support networks, too little growth capital, and the difficulty of turning a smart prototype into a scalable business.
Even with government recognition of creative industries, music tech often feels like the “niche within the niche.” Seed funding is available, but scaling beyond that remains the real hurdle.
India’s Parallel Reality
I’ve seen promising startups stall.India’s context is different but surprisingly parallel. Just last week, I spoke with a founder building a brilliant solution for Indian regional music but can’t get past the investors because they don’t understand the market. They want them to shoot regional songs in UK!
Streaming consumption is surging, short video and OTT platforms are reshaping listening, and we have no shortage of tech talent.
Yet ask yourself: where are the dedicated music tech funds?
I’ve seen promising startups in rights management, metadata standardisation, transparent royalty accounting, and sync tools stall; not because the ideas lack merit, but because the funding pipeline doesn’t exist. Unlike the UK, where at least there’s structured dialogue, India hasn’t even begun to place music tech on its policy or investment map.
Why This Matters: It’s About the Invisible Plumbing
This isn’t only about new platforms or apps. It’s about finally fixing the broken, invisible plumbing of our industry. The things creators rarely see but always feel: missing royalties, opaque deals, underreported plays, delayed payments.
Without investment in this infrastructure, Indian IP risks staying dependent on global platforms instead of building long-term value at home.
The Takeaway: A Call for Recognition
What I admire about the UK report is its honesty. They acknowledge that capital doesn’t always flow to where innovation is. For India, that’s a wake-up call.
We don’t need to wait for a government white paper. The time for action is now. We need investors, policymakers, and the music industry to start recognising music tech not as an add-on, but as the infrastructure that will decide whether our creators thrive or simply survive.
Because the real question isn’t whether Indian artists will keep growing globally… they already are. The question is whether our technology and capital will grow with them, or whether that value will once again slip away to others.
Leave a Reply