MUMBAI, India — Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar has weighed in on the long-standing issue of artists being unable to claim ownership of their most successful work, saying creators have historically generated immense value without retaining rights to what they produce.
Speaking at the launch of the Goongoonalo app, Akhtar reflected on the imbalance between creativity and ownership in the music industry. “For decades, artists have created value, but ownership rarely stayed with them,” he said.
Praising the new platform, Akhtar said it marks a meaningful shift for creators. “Goongoonalo changes that equation. It is not just a platform — it is a declaration that creators have the right to their work, their voice, and their future,” he added.
Singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the need for fairness in collaboration. “Music has always thrived on collaboration, but equality has often been missing. What we are building here allows artists to create without fear, without fees, and without compromise — and to truly own what they make together,” he said.
Composer Sulaiman Merchant highlighted the creative freedom the platform offers. “For the first time in my career, I am creating without a brief, a formula, or a deadline imposed by commerce. I am making music because it needs to exist — and releasing it knowing it will reach listeners without being diluted or redirected. That freedom changes everything,” he said.
Goongoonalo has entered India’s music landscape as an artist-led platform, launching with 100 original songs on its first day. Under its model, every collaborator co-owns the music they create and retains copyright, allowing creators to be investors and stakeholders in the ecosystem.
Co-founder Sridhar Ranganathan said the platform aims to redefine the artist-fan relationship. “Artist–fan engagement shouldn’t feel transactional or algorithm-driven. At Goongoonalo, we’re building technology that restores intimacy — where fans don’t just consume music, they participate in the artist’s journey, and artists finally own that relationship without intermediaries,” he said.
Sherley Singh, CEO of Goongoonalo, said the platform was shaped by years of listening to artists’ concerns. “Goongoonalo was born from listening — listening to what artists have lived through for years. This platform is built on transparency, fair participation, and direct connection. These 100 songs are not a launch tactic; they are proof that when creators are trusted with ownership and clarity, they choose collaboration over control and community over competition,” she said.
Artist investors present at the launch included Javed Akhtar, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Prasoon Joshi, Shreya Ghoshal, Sameer Anjaan, Shaan, Angaraag Mahanta (Papon), Milind Shrivastava, Anand Shrivastava, Vijay Prakash, Lalit Pandit, Akriti Kakkar, Akshay Hariharan, Anupam Roy, Anusha Mani, Joshua Singh, Mannan Shaah, Mayur Puri, Nitin Shankar, Rachel Singh, Raju Singh, Darshan Rathod, Sanjeev Rathod, Shivam Mahadevan, Siddharth Mahadevan, and Souumil Shringarpure, among others.
Guests at the event included Shabana Azmi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Leslee Lewis, Abhijeet Sawant, Bianca Gomes, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi, Siddhartha Roy, Somesh Mathur, Suneeta Rao, Shraddha Pandit, and several other figures from across music, film, and culture. (Source: IANS)
