From Musician to Entrepreneur: An Interview with Hoopr CEO Gaurav Dagaonkar

An Exclusive Interview with Gaurav Dagaonkar, Co-Founder and CEO of Hoopr, India’s first dedicated music licensing platform

In India’s booming digital creator economy, music plays a powerful role—but copyright remains a challenge. Enter Hoopr, the nation’s first dedicated music licensing platform, co-founded by musician-turned-entrepreneur Gaurav Dagaonkar.

In this interview, Gaurav shares his journey, Hoopr’s mission to provide safe, affordable music for creators, and how the platform is transforming the way India discovers and licenses sound.

What inspired you to start Hoopr, and how did your background in music influence the platform’s vision?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: After graduating from IIM Ahmedabad, I chose an unconventional path—skipping campus placements to follow my passion for music. My journey began with my first hit song, College Days, during my student years, and evolved into a 15-year career in the music industry.

In 2018, I founded Songfest, building music-led brand solutions at scale. But in 2021, a turning point came when a track I had composed was used in a major brand campaign—without my consent, credit, or payment.

That experience was an eye-opener: if such a violation could happen to me, despite my network and experience, the challenge facing countless other artists without the same resources was far greater. This realization became the spark to build solutions that protect and empower artists everywhere.

My research revealed a glaring gap in India’s music ecosystem: the absence of a dedicated platform that offered copyright-safe, high-quality, and culturally relevant music for local creators and brands.

With the rise of social media and the creator economy, this need became even more urgent. To bridge it, I launched Hoopr—a platform that delivers affordable, premium, and copyright-compliant music while unlocking new revenue streams for artists.

In just three years, Hoopr has collaborated with over 6,500 artists—ranging from renowned industry names to folk and tribal musicians—driving more than ₹4.5 crore in artist payouts.

On the other side, we’ve empowered over 30,000 creators and nearly 175 brands to legally and effectively soundtrack their content, building a fairer and more sustainable ecosystem for music in India.

What challenges did you face while building a music licensing marketplace in India, and how did you overcome them? 

Gaurav Dagaonkar: The biggest hurdle in building a music licensing marketplace in India has been awareness. Most creators and marketers remain unaware that using music in branded content—whether on Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or advertisements—requires proper licensing.

This lack of awareness has led to a culture of non-compliance, with over 87% of branded videos relying on unlicensed music, resulting in an annual industry loss of ₹8,000–₹10,000 crore.

At the same time, many artists and labels were unaware of how extensively their work was being misused, or how licensing could generate sustainable passive income for them.

Misconceptions also persist: that licensing is prohibitively expensive (when platforms like Hoopr Smash make it accessible starting at just ₹999), or that using a song helps it gain popularity—when in reality, brands usually choose tracks that are already trending and culturally relevant.

What enabled us to overcome this challenge was the unique blend of experiences I was able to bring into Hoopr — a solution-oriented engineering foundation, a strategic business lens from IIM Ahmedabad, and over 15 years of experience as a musician.

This mix helped us shape Hoopr as a tech-driven, scalable platform that addresses critical gaps in music licensing.

My credibility as an artist allowed me to rally the musician community, while my stint at Songfest gave me deep insights into how brands approach music. Together, these perspectives have been pivotal in engaging stakeholders and driving Hoopr’s growth.

How does Hoopr differentiate itself from global licensing platforms, especially for Indian creators?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: Hoopr differentiates itself from traditional licensing agencies and global music libraries through its deep focus on Indian music and a commitment to fair, transparent partnerships.

Our catalogue features Bollywood, independent, and regional tracks across 20+ languages—all ethically sourced, fully licensed, and governed by clear agreements.

Unlike global platforms that often acquire tracks outright, we collaborate with artists via rights societies such as IPRS and operate on a revenue-share model, ensuring fair payouts for creators alongside complete copyright compliance. Another key differentiator for Hoopr is our accessibility and active ecosystem engagement.

With licenses starting at just ₹999, we make premium music affordable for both creators and brands. Beyond licensing, we run awareness campaigns, roadshows, and workshops to educate stakeholders on the value of using licensed music—an effort rarely undertaken by global platforms.

Alongside micro-licensing for digital content, our catalogue also supports films, OTT shows, and brand campaigns, positioning Hoopr as the go-to choice for Indian creators and agencies.

What are some of the most memorable projects or collaborations facilitated by Hoopr so far?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: Through Hoopr Brand Solutions (HBS), we provide a consultative, end-to-end service that helps brands identify the right artist, select the perfect track, and craft promotional strategies that amplify reach.

At the heart of this is our AMP (Artist–Music–Promotion) framework, which combines creative expertise with data-driven insights to ensure music strengthens brand identity and drives meaningful engagement. This approach has been widely recognized through award-winning campaigns.

We’ve had the privilege of powering soundtracks for some of India’s most recognized personalities and creators — from celebrity chef Ranveer Brar and actor Ashish Vidyarthi to leading digital creators like Flying Beast.

Our music has reached millions of viewers and listeners, including on prestigious platforms such as the official YouTube channel of Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, underscoring our strong pan-India presence.

On the brand side, our portfolio includes both award-winning and culturally impactful campaigns. The Zara Muskura De soundtrack for Himalaya won the People’s Choice Award at the Dadasaheb Phalke Film Festival.

Other standout projects include ITC Bingo Tedhe Medhe’s Bhojpuri music video with Khesari Lal Yadav, Ultratech Cement’s Ek Ghar Banaunga, Too Yumm’s digital campaigns, and collaborations with platforms such as Zee TV, Pocket FM, and Myntra Studio.

Through Hoopr Brand Solutions (HBS), we’ve also partnered with both global icons like Dwayne Bravo and Indian talent like Monali Thakur, consistently delivering rights-safe, high-impact music that resonates with diverse audiences.

Can you describe the process of onboarding artists and music catalogues onto Hoopr?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: Our onboarding process is rooted in fairness, transparency, and quality. On Hoopr Smash, the ownership always remains with the label or the artist — we simply list their music on our marketplace under a revenue-share model.

With micro-synchronisation as our core focus, we are highly selective in curating high-quality tracks. Now equipped to onboard artists and labels at scale, we are taking a deliberate, steady approach to ensure long-term value.

For every major label we bring in, we aim to add around five smaller labels and 100–150 independent artists, creating a balanced and diverse catalogue. Currently, we host nearly 550 independent artists across genres like singer-songwriter, pop, and hip-hop.

Looking ahead to FY26, our focus is not mass onboarding but value creation: partnering with 4-5 major labels, 15–30 regional/smaller labels, and 1,000–1,500 independent artists, while continuing to reinforce Hoopr Smash as a platform built for sustainable, long-term market impact.

How do you address copyright, royalty, and transparency concerns for both artists and users on the platform?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: Hoopr tackles copyright, royalty, and transparency challenges through a rights-secured, technology-driven framework.

Every artist and label in our catalogue signs formal agreements, ensuring that each track is fully cleared for licensing.

For brands and creators, this guarantees freedom from legal or reputational risks tied to unlicensed music, with every use covered by an official license granting secure rights within their project.

Our transparent revenue-share model ensures the majority of licensing revenue flows directly to artists, labels, and platforms.

We pay out royalties periodically, and our recent partnership with IPRS adds an extra layer of assurance that rights-holders receive their fair share. Since our inception, Hoopr has disbursed over ₹4.5 crore in royalties, benefitting more than 1,500 artists across India.

What advice would you offer fellow entrepreneurs or musicians aspiring to enter the music-tech space in India?

Gaurav Dagaonkar: My advice to entrepreneurs is to deeply understand the problem you’re solving — it must address a real need and carry clear market relevance.

Too often, products are built around issues the market doesn’t even recognize as problems. In music-tech, the journey is especially slow-moving, so patience is key, alongside equal measures of passion and persistence. And above all, ensure that what you build creates a genuine win–win for all stakeholders.

For musicians entering the music-tech space, it is vital to develop a strong understanding of your rights and the revenue streams available to you.

Learn the basics of licensing, how platforms like Hoopr operate, and the importance of being a member of rights organizations such as IPRS.

The deeper your knowledge of the legal, creative, and commercial dimensions of music, the better positioned you’ll be to safeguard your work, maximize earnings, and make informed choices that strengthen your career.

With Hoopr, Gaurav Dagaonkar isn’t just solving a legal hurdle but unlocking new creative possibilities. His vision bridges artistry and accessibility, empowering businesses and creators alike to use music fearlessly.

As India’s digital content landscape expands, Hoopr stands as a trailblazer—making licensed music simple, local, and impactful. Gaurav’s journey reflects the future of music-tech in India’s digital era.

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