Goongoonalo Is India’s First Artist-Owned Cultural Ecosystem
India’s creative landscape has a new landmark. Goongoonalo, launched in May 2025, is more than just a new app. It’s a full-fledged cultural ecosystem designed, built, and owned by artists themselves. It’s the first time in the country (and maybe even globally) that the power of ownership has shifted so directly into the hands of creators. At its core, Goongoonalo aims to support music, poetry, storytelling, and live performance with complete artistic freedom.
The platform is the brainchild of over 30 founding artists, including icons like Javed Akhtar, Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam, Prasoon Joshi, and Sameer Anjaan, alongside technologist Sridhar Ranganathan, who built the tech stack, and Sherley Singh, who leads it as CEO. Unlike most platforms that chase trends and algorithms, Goongoonalo puts creative autonomy first. Artists retain full ownership of their work, earn transparently, and don’t have to bend to label pressures or content restrictions.
What sets it apart is that every participating artist is also a stakeholder in the platform. The content ranges from studio recordings to intimate demos, lyrics to live sessions, spoken word, poetry, and even behind-the-scenes creative processes. These are curated under the banner of “Goongoonalo Originals,” a space where art is shared without filters or formulas.
Fans aren’t left out either. In fact, they’re right in the middle of it all. Goongoonalo’s Fanverse invites listeners to collaborate directly with artists. Whether it’s picking setlists, co-writing lyrics, suggesting topics, crowdfunding music videos, or helping design merch, it’s a participatory experience built to deepen the bond between creators and their audiences.
Some of the platform’s standout features include a Mentorship Hub offering workshops with top musicians and writers, a Poetry Garden for open mics and live readings, and a growing calendar of hybrid live-streamed and on-ground performances that pair legacy artists with rising voices. From behind-the-scenes voice memos to fully polished albums, the idea is to break down the barrier between the artist and the audience.
At the platform’s official unveiling in Mumbai, Javed Akhtar called it a historic moment, noting that Goongoonalo gives creators the space, freedom, and resources they’ve long deserved. For artists like Shankar Mahadevan and Prasoon Joshi, the platform is a personal passion project. It’s a way to give back to the creative community while future-proofing the art they believe in.
This isn’t just about music distribution. It’s about cultural authorship. It’s about creators owning their work and fans participating in the journey. Artists like Hariharan, Salim Merchant, Shaan, and Irshad Kamil have already praised the platform for offering a rare blend of structure and freedom. And judging by the early buzz, it’s just the beginning.
Goongoonalo is now open for early registrations. Fans and artists can sign up for sneak peeks, feature previews, exclusive digital events, and launch updates. What’s powerful is that the community is being built before the content goes wide. It’s a grassroots movement rather than a top-down product.
At Sound of the Streets India, this is exactly the kind of shift we’ve been waiting for. A place where creative control, community ownership, and cultural relevance finally meet. Goongoonalo isn’t trying to compete with the mainstream. It’s offering an alternative that feels more real, more human, and more artist-first than anything else out there.
If this is where music is headed, we’re listening.
Leave a Comment