Warner Music India Acquires a Majority Stake In Divo
Mumbai, February 8 th 2023: Warner Music India has signed a deal to acquire a majority stake in Divo, a leading digital media and music company in India with a presence across all four South Indian language music markets. This investment will help deliver Warner Music India’s strategy of having a leading presence in the entertainment sector across the whole country.
Divo offers online video, music distribution, publishing, digital and influencer marketing solutions for brands, celebrities and movies. It has been working with labels, artists and musicians to help distribute and monetise their content across digital platforms, radio and TV stations. With a large presence in the Tamil market, and a fair share of the Kannada, Malayalam and Telegu music industries, Divo released more than 30,000 songs last year.
Warner Music India has grown its presence across the vast majority of regions and cultures in the country with chartbuster releases and strategic partnerships with companies including Global Music Junction, Sky Digital, Tips Music and Ziiki Media. The label recently forayed into Marathi and Gujarati music with the release of official film soundtracks as part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in the regional music scene. The company also has a regional imprint with its sub-label Maati.
Jay Mehta, Managing Director, Warner Music India, says: "I’m so delighted that we’re able to bring the Divo brand under the Warner Music India banner. This move will strengthen our presence in the south of the country, enabling us to have a truly strong Pan- India presence. Divo’s extensive portfolio will not only bolster our core music offering in South India, but its entire artist-influencer ecosystem will further enhance our overall entertainment footprint.”
Alfonso Perez Soto, President, Emerging Markets, Warner Recorded Music, adds: “The acquisition of Divo is a major milestone in our Indian journey. We opened for business in 2020 and through a series of strategic deals and culturally relevant artist signings have fast established ourselves as a key player in the market. We’re excited to partner with Shahir and Vishu and the team at Divo, who have built an amazing company that operates at the intersection of four key music markets. Together, we’ll take South Indian music to a global audience.”
Shahir Muneer, Founder and Director, Divo, comments: “It gives us immense pleasure to partner with Warner Music India. Having the backing of a global partner will put us on the map, helping us to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes to attracting talent and clients. Our music business will benefit from better access to Warner Music’s global footprint and that will help us drive growth for our artist and label partners.”
Vishu Ramaswamy, Director Divo, concludes: “We are glad to partner with Warner Music India for the next phase of our growth. Our ideologies and long-term approach towards expansion in India connected in the right manner and with this association we’re sure that we will become the biggest entertainment entity in South India.”
Launched in 2020, Warner Music India has rapidly grown as the destination for pop culture in India with the signing of superstar artists like Armaan Mali, Darshan Raval, Diljit Dosanjh and King domestically. The company has also had success with its international roster with global artists such as Alec Benjamin, Anne-Marie, CKay and Ed Sheeran storming the charts.
Key partnerships for the company also include a licensing deal with Tips Music, which owns the rights to some of the most popular Bollywood movies ever produced; founded the Maati label, dedicated to the fast-growing Indian folk music genre; and signed several distribution deals focused on labels from India’s different cultural and linguistic traditions. In the Punjabi and Bhojpuri music scene, Warner Music India has signed partnerships with Sky Digital and Global Music Junction respectively.
Divo is one of India’s well-established digital media and music companies, with presence across the country. It was founded by Shahir Muneer and co-led by him and Vishu Ramaswamy since 2014. Divo’s online video and music division works with content partners including leading TV channels, movie rights holders, film studios, music labels, artists, and various digital content creators across India with a strong presence in South Indian content, making it one of the largest independent music and video distributors in South India.
