U.S. — Anjula Acharia launched 5 Junction, a joint label with Warner Music Group, to invest in South Asian artists in the U.S. The venture aims to serve a growing but historically untapped market as South Asian musicians gain traction in the American music scene.
"That sounded crazy, to think we were 20 years too early, but now, 20 years later, with the explosion of people like Diljit Dosanjh and Karan Aujla, there's all these South Asian acts that are coming here and really selling out, particularly in the live arena," Acharia told CNBC. She added, "We're in a different time, and I think digitally things travel just so much faster."
Acharia emphasized the commercial potential of the South Asian diaspora, stating, "I think the business proposition is this global Indian fandom. How do we galvanize this audience and this fandom, and how do we serve it?"
Warner Records, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, is investing in South Asian talent across multiple genres, languages, and audiences. The label is encouraging collaborations between South Asian musicians and popular American artists to help them break into the mainstream. The streaming era has lowered barriers to entry, enabling Warner to focus more closely on this segment.
"A lot of big hits were made with samples from Indian music, so it's been in the zeitgeist for a long time — it's just not been given a face," Acharia said. Spotify reported that streams of Indian artists in international markets grew more than 2,000% between 2019 and 2023, and nearly half of royalties from Indian artists on the platform in 2024 came from listeners outside India.
Singer and songwriter Rhea Raj, who is represented by 5 Junction, said, "We're seeing more artists at bigger festivals and at award shows, and I think the best of it's yet to come." Raj, who got her start on "American Idol" nearly a decade ago and is also a member of the girl group Katseye, added, "South Asian music, it is so diverse, and within that, there are so many countries and regions and styles and things to break down and explore, and I just hope that as time goes on and we have more artists in the mainstream pop world, we'll get to see more and more pieces of that."
Karen Kwak, executive vice president and head of artists and repertoire at Warner Records, noted the changing landscape of the industry. "That is what is so great about the music world we live in today, is that everybody is embracing who they are, and I think youth all over the world, they want to see stars that look like them." She added, "It is what music is. We're changing and impacting and creating the new music culture."