ABD and Universal Music's new property Sterling Reserve Music Project promotes independent music

Universal Music, after launching VYRL Originals, has partnered with Allied Blenders and Distillers to co-create an independent music property, Sterling Reserve Music Project. The project aims to become home for independent music artists, including regional talent, by discovering, nurturing and promoting them.

Through this project, the label aims to produce 20 titles in the next two years through five established and 15 upcoming artists. They have already recorded three songs under this project. The label plans 360-degree marketing around the project, offering artists various platforms such as radio, music video and digital. 

Devraj Sanyal

Devraj Sanyal, Managing Director and CEO, Universal Music and EMI Music, India and South Asia, told BuzzInContent.com about the label’s plan of launching a festival or collective on back of the project by the end of 2019. He also shared his plans of targeting a larger market through this project by being language-agnostic.

Speaking about the leverage the label would garner through this partnership, Sanyal said the project is cofounded by both the brands.

“It is a long-term deal between us and we plan to bring back independent music on the scene. It is not about revenue but finding that one popular artist from a thousand entries and getting him on board. According to me, it is one of the world’s greatest A&R tool at your own disposal,” he added.

After scouting for a year for the right partner, the label has associated with Allied Blenders and Distillers which shared the former’s vision of putting artists in the forefront instead of brands.

Sanyal said, “I wanted to offer a platform truly for music where brands are not important but the independent artist takes the centre stage. We like the brand because their premise is ‘chase the next’. They want people to chase their ambition. So the brand was perfect and we partnered with it. And it is expensive to do it alone.”

For the record label, non-film and regional is the priority and it has no plans to enter or collaborate with Bollywood music. The brand is tapping the larger market by being language-agnostic. Sanyal said the brand wants to give a platform to the regional artists who might not be comfortable in Hindi music industry by making them popular on the global front.

Apart from this, the label is also planning to come back with Colors Infinity’s The Stage this year.