Warner Music and Investors Bet on South Asian Acts as Next Global Music Wave
Warner Music Group has launched 5 Junction, a joint label focused on investing in South Asian artists in the U.S., as global music revenues reach all-time highs and streaming data shows explosive growth for Indian artists abroad. Music strategist Anjula Acharia, founder and CEO of 5 Junction, said the move follows a two-decade wait for the market to mature.
Strategic Timing and Market Potential
Acharia first attempted to bring South Asian talent to the U.S. in the early 2000s alongside label partner Jimmy Iovine, the executive behind Eminem and Lady Gaga. Iovine told her she was 20 years too early. "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.
The South Asian music market in the U.S. has remained largely untapped, but increasing globalization of music — following the success of K-pop and Latin acts — positions South Asian talent as the next major business opportunity, according to Acharia. "We're in a different time, and I think digitally things travel just so much faster," she said. "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."
Streaming Growth and Industry Data
Global music revenues surpassed $30 billion in 2025, according to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Spotify reported that streams of Indian artists in international markets grew more than 2,000% between 2019 and 2023, and nearly 50% of royalties from Indian artists on the platform in 2024 came from listeners outside India.
With South Asia's growing population and diaspora, the region is set to become one of the fastest-growing segments within global music, Acharia said. Warner Music Group, the third-largest music label in the U.S. with roughly 17% market share by distribution ownership as of the first quarter of 2026, according to Billboard, is positioning itself to capture that growth. "I think the business proposition is this global Indian fandom," Acharia said. "How do we galvanize this audience and this fandom, and how do we serve it?"
Artist Perspectives and Industry Experimentation
5 Junction represents artists including singer and songwriter Rhea Raj, who said she is seeing South Asian music become more mainstream in the U.S. "We're seeing more artists at bigger festivals and at award shows, and I think the best of it's yet to come," Raj told CNBC. Raj and her sister Lara Raj, of the girl group Katseye, are among a growing number of South Asian artists building careers in the U.S.
Acharia described the current phase as one of experimentation, with labels figuring out what works and how fan bases will evolve. "We're in a different time, and I think digitally things travel just so much faster," she said.
Market Context
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- Date: May 30, 2026