Javed Akhtar, Shankar Mahadevan Launch 'Goongoonalo' Music App for Artists

On its very first day, the Goongoonalo app released 100 original songs. Across these 100 songs, singers, composers, producers, and lyricists collaborated as equals, charging no fees to one another.

The artist investors present at the launch oon Friday 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, among others.

Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar explained how Goongoonalo works and why it is special. He said that, unlike other apps that use pre-existing songs, this platform is owned by its creators themselves.

"Other apps use songs that are already made. But this app is owned by the creators. The music directors, songwriters, and singers are the owners of it. Each of us will put in at least four new songs every year," he said.

Singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan called the day a significant one for music and creativity. "Today is a very special day for the world of music, poetry, and creativity. This is a one-of-a-kind platform where artists get complete creative freedom."

Singer Shaan also shared how this kind of artist-owned company has never existed before. "Nowhere in the world has there been such a music company created by artists--musicians, composers, lyricists, and singers. In Goongoonalo, we can finally sing the ghazals, thoughts, and songs that have been in our hearts for many years, but we were unsure whether they would be accepted commercially."

Lyricist Prasoon Joshi shared how he decided to join the platform. "When Shankar ji and the team called me in the beginning, I felt this is a very good group of people. I wanted to join and be part of it."

Bhajan singer Anup Jalota invited young musicians to join the platform. "Record your song the way you want and put it on this app. Then you become an investor in it. Goongoonalo is a special app that does not exist anywhere else in the world."

Singer Hariharan also spoke about how artists are both workers and owners here. "Goongoonalo is the first app in the world where artists are members of the company. The shareholders are the same people who create the music. We work for this company, and we also own it."

The platform already features songs across many styles, from classical and folk to indie pop, ghazals, and spoken word. The idea is to allow artists to create music freely, without the pressure to follow trends.

Guests at the launch event included Shabana Azmi, Jaaved Jaaferi, Siddhartha Roy, and many more from across music, film, and culture.

- ANI