MUMBAI: Hoopr Smash, a first-of-its-kind, automated, self-serve, music licensing marketplace announced its strategic partnership with Merchant Records, the label helmed by iconic music composer duo, Salim–Sulaiman. With this partnership, over 450 new tracks from Merchant Records’ catalog are now available to brands and creators for licensing on Hoopr Smash. This addition expands on Hoopr Smash’s existing catalogue of over 18,000+ tracks, further solidifying its position as India’s go-to destination for legally licensing music across genres and moods.
With a musical legacy that spans over 25 years, Merchant Records has collaborated with some of India’s most iconic voices such as Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Arijit Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, and many others including folk and regional artists. Known for curating culturally relevant music – from commercial blockbusters to grassroots folk anthems Merchant Records has played a critical role in offering India’s audiences diverse musical narratives. Their contributions represent several chart-topping tracks and trends on different digital platforms like Instagram and YouTube. The label also owns the acclaimed musical IP Bhoomi, now in its sixth edition, which celebrates India’s rich folk and spiritual tapestry. This partnership represents a significant step to enabling structured, transparent, and legal use of music ensuring that creators and brands can continue to use their popular tracks while supporting fair compensation for the artists behind them.
Salim Merchant, Co-Founder, Merchant Records said “Our catalogue—spanning culturally rich tracks, truly independent music, and original music IPs like Bhoomi—has long been part of India’s sonic landscape. With Hoopr Smash, we’re excited to bring this body of work to brands and creators through a platform that values compliance, transparency, and technology. This partnership gives us the ability to monetise our music more efficiently while providing creators a legal and scalable solution to use the sounds their audiences already love. It’s a win for the ecosystem at large.”
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Gaurav Dagaonkar, Co-Founder and CEO of Hoopr, said: “India’s music ecosystem is at a turning point. With over millions of content pieces created daily by 80 million content creators, the demand for high-quality, culturally relevant music is soaring—but so is the need for legal, ethical, and transparent licensing. Our collaboration with Merchant Records is an important step in addressing this gap. Salim–Sulaiman’s legacy and versatility has inspired and shaped generations, and we plan to create a structured, inclusive, and future-ready music licensing ecosystem together. At Hoopr, we aim to empower creators, protect rights and enable brands to tell stories with music in a way that’s free of legal uncertainties. This isn’t just about access; it’s about impact, equity, and sustainability in how music is used and monetized in the digital era, especially when over RS 8,000 crore is lost annually due to unlicensed usage.”
Meghna Mittal, Co-Founder & CRO of Hoopr, added “At the core of Hoopr Smash is a robust, technology-driven platform designed to streamline music discovery and licensing at scale. Collaborating with Merchant Records—whose repertoire includes some of India’s most iconic and culturally significant music—is a significant milestone for us. Through real-time reporting, and built-in compliance, our platform ensures a seamless and intelligent licensing experience for rights holders. This partnership exemplifies how innovation, transparency, and strategic collaboration can drive sustainable monetization for artists while enabling brands to license music their audiences already connect with—legally and effortlessly.”
Shivansh Jindal, CEO, Merchant Records said “Over the years, we’ve seen our music organically reach millions through social media, films, and festivals. While that reach has been incredibly fulfilling, it also comes with the responsibility to ensure that our music is used ethically and that the artists behind it are rightfully compensated. Partnering with Hoopr Smash enables us to take a major step in that direction. It’s not just about licensing—it’s about building a culture of respect for music, and ensuring that the industry grows on the foundations of fairness, creativity, and collaboration.”
With over 80,000 brands producing branded content daily in India; nearly 87% of which willfully violate music licensing norms, the need for a structured, ethical solution is more critical than ever. Hoopr Smash, in collaboration with leading music labels, directly addresses this gap by offering a transparent, scalable, and legally compliant framework for music licensing. This partnership is a major step towards tackling the RS 8,000 crore revenue leakage in India’s music industry, while enabling creators and brands to grow responsibly in an increasingly content-driven digital economy.”
