Inside JSplash: CEO Bijoy Thangaraj on Animation, Innovation, and Impact

An Exclusive Interview with Bijoy Thangaraj, Founder & CEO of JSplash Studios, a Bengaluru-based company specializing in music education and performance tools

Meet Bijoy Thangaraj, Founder & CEO of Bengaluru-based JSplash Studios, revolutionizing music education with innovative performance tools.

As an Indian software developer, musician, and entrepreneur, he created the globally acclaimed Guitar Wiz app—an all-in-one platform trusted by guitarists worldwide for learning and practice.

How did your dual passions for software development and music converge to inspire the founding of JSplash Studios?

Bijoy Thangaraj: For me, music and software never felt like two different worlds – they always felt like two languages describing the same thing: patterns, rhythm, structure, and emotion.

I grew up immersed in music – trained in classical piano and guitar, performing with bands, spending long hours in studios, and even contributing music for films. But alongside music, I was equally drawn to technology.

I did my Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering from VIT Vellore. Over the years, I had the chance to work across very different environments – five years at Honeywell, about two years at a startup, and even a short part-time engineering stint with Google.

Each phase shaped how I think about building products: the discipline and scale from enterprise work, the speed and experimentation from startups, and the high-quality engineering mindset that world-class teams operate with.

But even while working those jobs, music never left my life. And at some point, I realized something important: I wasn’t just a musician who could code, or a developer who played music – I was someone who could bridge both worlds.

That’s really how JSplash Studios was born. Not from a big business plan – but from necessity. 

I kept running into small friction points as a musician:
“I wish I had a drum pad right now”
“I need a tool to improve my sight reading”
“I want chord voicings instantly without endless browsing.”

Instead of waiting for the perfect tool, I started building the tools I personally needed.

One project turned into another. A hobby grew into a habit. A habit became a catalog. Eventually, JSplash became the umbrella for everything I was building – apps designed by a musician… for musicians.

What problem in music education and performance were you solving when you launched JSplash Studios, and how has the company evolved since?

Bijoy Thangaraj: When I started JSplash Studios, I wasn’t trying to solve a “big industry problem.” I was simply solving my own everyday problems as a practicing musician.

Many times, I needed a specific tool – like a better way to practice rhythm, train my ear, tune accurately, or quickly find chord voicings – but I couldn’t find an app that did the job well enough. So instead of waiting, I decided to build the tool myself.

What surprised me was that once I released these apps, they didn’t just help me – they resonated with thousands (and eventually millions) of other musicians who had the exact same needs.

Over time, those small “necessity projects” grew into a full lineup of music apps, and eventually led to Guitar Wiz – my most complete vision so far, bringing multiple essential tools into one unified companion for guitarists.

Bengaluru is a global tech hub – how has its ecosystem influenced JSplash Studios’ growth and innovations?

Bijoy Thangaraj: Honestly, as an indie developer, it doesn’t really matter whether I’m building from Bengaluru or anywhere else – software lets you work from any place in the world.

But what’s truly special about Bengaluru for me is something different: the musician community here is amazing.

Over the years, I’ve gotten to know and work with a lot of professional musicians – people I’ve collaborated with, performed alongside, or simply hung out with. That circle has become one of my biggest advantages.

Whenever I build something new, I can get it into the hands of real musicians quickly, and their feedback is incredibly direct and valuable. That feedback loop has shaped my apps a lot – because it comes from people who actually play, teach, and perform in the real world.

In many ways, Bengaluru didn’t just give me a tech environment – it gave me a living musician community that helps me build better products.

Can you tell us about JSplash Studios’ flagship tools? What makes them stand out for musicians and educators?

Bijoy Thangaraj: JSplash apps stand out because they have one common design philosophy:

Every feature must earn its place by being musically useful – not just “technically impressive.”

Here are a few flagship tools:

Tuner T1
A clean, dependable chromatic tuner designed for a wide range of instruments—simple enough for beginners, accurate enough for pros.

Music Tutor / Aural Wiz
Built for learners – helping with fundamentals like note reading and ear training, which often decide whether someone sticks with music long-term.

GtrLib Chords
A chord reference built for exploration- helping guitarists understand the fretboard beyond static chord charts.

Guitar Wiz (Flagship)
Guitar Wiz is where everything converges. It’s a complete toolkit that combines learning, practice, and creativity into one experience: chord library, tuner, metronome, reverse chord finder, Song Maker, song sheet scanner, and more.

And the biggest differentiator?
It doesn’t feel like a “bag of features.” It feels like a companion – built from the workflow of a real working musician.

Is there any exciting new feature or product in the pipeline? How does it address modern musicians’ needs such as live streaming or AI integration?

Bijoy Thangaraj: Yes – and what excites me most is that we’ve entered an era where music tools can become more interactive and more intelligent without becoming complicated.

With Guitar Wiz, I’ve been focused on building toward:

• deeper Apple ecosystem experiences – that take advantage of device’s processing capabilities (for things such as stem splitting)
• smarter assistance through on-device intelligence and modern ML approaches
• and more “feedback-driven” practice features – not just static tools

The bigger direction is:
real-time guidance + creativity tools that work fast enough to keep up with inspiration.

Modern musicians today aren’t just practicing – they’re recording, posting, live-streaming, collaborating remotely, and building ideas quickly. Tools like Song Maker and Chord Assist are steps toward that world, where the app doesn’t just display information – it actively supports momentum.

How do you balance being a software developer, musician, and entrepreneur while avoiding burnout?

Bijoy Thangaraj: It’s definitely challenging – especially because I’m a solo developer, so I’m wearing multiple hats every single day.

But one thing that consistently helps me find peace is playing the piano.

When I sit down at the piano, I enter a completely different realm – where I’m not thinking about code, deadlines, feedback, or business at all. It’s just pure music, fully in the moment.

And honestly, that feeling gives me a kind of miraculous recovery. It resets my mind and brings me back with fresh energy, so I can build again without burning out.

What is your creative process when developing music software compared to composing or performing music?

Bijoy Thangaraj: To me, writing software is no different from writing music.

In music, you’re building patterns, flow, and emotion.
In software, you’re building the same thing – just using code instead of notes.

In both cases, the goal is simple: make the experience feel natural and effortless.

What advice would you give to aspiring developer-musicians or entrepreneurs in Bengaluru’s startup ecosystem?

Bijoy Thangaraj: I’d give three pieces of advice – especially for Bengaluru, where talent is everywhere:

1) Build for yourself first
If you’re a musician, your own workflow is your unfair advantage. Solve your own problem so deeply that other musicians instantly recognize it.

2) Don’t wait for perfection, ship clarity
People don’t fall in love with perfect products. They fall in love with products that feel useful right away.

3) Make it sustainable
Success isn’t about one launch – it’s about showing up for years. Build at a pace where you can still love music, still enjoy coding, and still have a life outside the screen.

And one more thing I strongly believe: sometimes it takes years before you see real returns. But if you genuinely believe in your product, and you keep improving it relentlessly to make it the best it can be, success will come.

Finally, if you’re both a developer and a musician, don’t treat that as “split focus.”
Treat it as your identity. That’s where the magic is.

Bijoy Thangaraj’s journey at JSplash Studios inspires aspiring musicians and entrepreneurs alike. From coding Guitar Wiz to scaling global impact, his blend of tech savvy and musical passion proves innovation thrives at their intersection—strumming a brighter future for music education everywhere.

Read more Success stories of Indian entrepreneurs, Women Entrepreneurs & startups stories at SugerMint. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn