Mumbai: Hoopr Smash—an automated self-serve music licensing platform—has announced a strategic partnership with Merchant Records, the label founded by the legendary composer duo Salim–Sulaiman. This partnership brings more than 450 tracks from Merchant Records’ catalog to the Hoopr Smash platform, adding to its expanding library of over 18,500 tracks for creators, brands, and agencies to license legally.
Known for championing legal, transparent, and easy access to culturally relevant music, Hoopr Smash continues to position itself as the go-to destination for licensing high-quality audio content across genres and formats. The collaboration with Merchant Records, whose work spans collaborations with icons like Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Arijit Singh, and Sunidhi Chauhan, marks a significant boost to the platform’s cultural and musical depth.
Salim Merchant, Co-Founder, Merchant Records, said, “Our catalogue—spanning culturally rich tracks, truly independent music, and original music IPs like Bhoomi—has long been part of India’s sonic landscape. With Hoopr Smash, we’re excited to bring this body of work to brands and creators through a platform that values compliance, transparency, and technology. This partnership gives us the ability to monetise our music more efficiently while providing creators a legal and scalable solution to use the sounds their audiences already love. It’s a win for the ecosystem at large.”
With this integration, users of Hoopr Smash can now legally access chart-topping and grassroots hits, including tracks from Bhoomi, Merchant Records’ celebrated folk and spiritual music series that’s now in its sixth edition.
Gaurav Dagaonkar, Co-Founder & CEO, Hoopr, commented, “India’s music ecosystem is at a turning point. With over millions of content pieces created daily by 80 million content creators, the demand for high-quality, culturally relevant music is soaring—but so is the need for legal, ethical, and transparent licensing. Our collaboration with Merchant Records is an important step in addressing this gap. Salim–Sulaiman’s legacy and versatility has inspired and shaped generations, and we plan to create a structured, inclusive, and future-ready music licensing ecosystem together. At Hoopr, we aim to empower creators, protect rights and enable brands to tell stories with music in a way that’s free of legal uncertainties. This isn’t just about access; it’s about impact, equity, and sustainability in how music is used and monetized in the digital era, especially when over ₹8,000 crore is lost annually due to unlicensed usage.”
Meghna Mittal, Co-Founder & CRO of Hoopr, added, “At the core of Hoopr Smash is a robust, technology-driven platform designed to streamline music discovery and licensing at scale. Collaborating with Merchant Records—whose repertoire includes some of India’s most iconic and culturally significant music—is a significant milestone for us. Through real-time reporting, and built-in compliance, our platform ensures a seamless and intelligent licensing experience for rights holders. This partnership exemplifies how innovation, transparency, and strategic collaboration can drive sustainable monetization for artists while enabling brands to license music their audiences already connect with—legally and effortlessly.”
Shivansh Jindal, CEO, Merchant Records, stated, “Over the years, we’ve seen our music organically reach millions through social media, films, and festivals. While that reach has been incredibly fulfilling, it also comes with the responsibility to ensure that our music is used ethically and that the artists behind it are rightfully compensated. Partnering with Hoopr Smash enables us to take a major step in that direction. It’s not just about licensing—it’s about building a culture of respect for music, and ensuring that the industry grows on the foundations of fairness, creativity, and collaboration.”
With over 80,000 brands producing content daily in India—87% of which often sidestep proper licensing—Hoopr Smash’s scalable, transparent solution is a critical response to a growing need. This collaboration not only helps in bridging the ₹8,000 crore revenue leakage in the industry but also sets a benchmark for ethical and sustainable content creation in India’s booming digital economy.
