ERNAKULAM: Even since the central government imposed a ban on the popular Chinese app TikTok in June this year, aggrieved content creators have been on a quest for the next best alternative. While apps like Smule and StarMaker have grown popular as possible replacements, a good homegrown music app, however, has been missing from the country’s short-form content market.
So far, that is. Because, soon, with the launch of his music app ‘SingIndia’ at a ceremony in Delhi next month, actor-director Ravi Menon will be marking a change. “With SingIndia, people will be able to sing, dance, enjoy, and even make money,” said Ravi, pointing out that the app has many additional features.
“Anyone who wants to sing can find their way to the music industry with the help of SingIndia, as there will be competitions and other programmes that will help them showcase their talent,” he said.
SingIndia, Ravi said, is the world’s first complete musical platform that incorporates the advantages of existing musical apps, in addition to its own unique features.“A user can even encash the virtual coupons given as gifts. Do you know how much money apps like StarMaker and Smule make? It comes to crores. Our people pay for a chance to sing and form family groups, and all they get in return are some virtual gifts. The companies end up raking in the moolah,” he said.
One day, while recharging his StarMaker account, Ravi realised how much of the country’s money was going into the coffers of foreign nationals through these apps. “So I thought of a platform that allows singers to encash their coupons and not just resort to virtual gifting. SingIndia does that. In addition to providing an income to the singers, the app also has a special party room for the users to sing and celebrate with their loved ones,” he said.
Another prominent is the provision to pay tributes to musical giants, he said. “SingIndia is also a repository of songs. It has songs in ten languages, including English and Sinhala,” he added.His experience as a user of the StarMaker app paved the way for the making of SingIndia, Ravi said. “I was very active on StarMaker. My family group, called Sruthilayam family, is ranked number one on the app which has seen over 51 million downloads worldwide,” he said.
Having invested `5 crore so far, Ravi is planning to pump in another `5 crore during the second phase development. Virtual cultural forums will also be set up on the app for school and college students and families in every state, he said. Winners of various competitions will get a chance to sing in films, Ravi added.