‘We saw a thriving ecosystem’: Why Spotify chose Malayalam for RADAR

Not too long ago, Spotify India was largely powered by international music. Seven years later, that picture has completely changed. Local music now dominates the platform, independent artists are finding bigger audiences than ever before, and Kerala has emerged as one of the country's most exciting music markets. For Spotify, that made the launch of RADAR Malayalam less of a surprise and more of a natural next step.

In an exclusive conversation with Mathrubhumi English during the launch of Spotify's newest regional RADAR programme, Spotify India Head of Music & Podcasts Dhruvank Vaidya said the decision was driven by the rapid growth of Malayalam's independent music ecosystem.

"We saw a thriving ecosystem," Vaidya said, explaining why Kerala became the latest addition to Spotify's global initiative that supports emerging artists.

According to him, Spotify India's listening habits have undergone a dramatic transformation since the platform entered the country.

"When Spotify launched in India, around 70% of listening was international music. Over the last seven years, that has completely inverted. Today, more than 70% of listening on Spotify India is local Indian music."

That shift has been accompanied by another significant trend. Independent music is steadily carving out space once dominated by film soundtracks.

"Last year, close to half the music on our charts was non-film. In Malayalam, 12 of the Top 50 tracks were independent," he said.

For Spotify, those numbers only confirmed what its editorial teams had already been observing. Kerala's music scene has grown far beyond cinema, with artists experimenting across genres while building loyal audiences.

Vaidya pointed to the rise of Malayalam hip hop alongside a new generation of pop musicians as evidence of a healthy creative ecosystem. Just as important, he believes, is the openness of listeners.

"Malayalam audiences are very open to new sounds."

That willingness to discover fresh voices made the state a perfect fit for the RADAR programme, Spotify's global initiative designed to spotlight emerging artists through editorial support, playlist placements, promotional campaigns and live performances.

While Malayalam musicians such as When Chai Met Toast and Aksomaniac have previously featured on RADAR India, Vaidya said the community has now grown large enough to deserve a dedicated platform of its own.

"The number of artists has grown so much that we thought it merited a dedicated RADAR Malayalam playlist."

The first artist to lead that journey is singer-songwriter Haniya Nafisa, a choice Vaidya says came naturally.

"We've been hearing Haniya's music for a long time because she's consistently been featured across multiple playlists. Once we decided to launch RADAR Malayalam, there was no one better than her to be the first artist."

Beyond visibility on the app, Spotify has also been expanding RADAR into live experiences. The company has introduced regular RADAR Nights and artist showcases across cities, giving emerging musicians opportunities to perform before new audiences. Kerala, Vaidya hinted, is expected to see more of these initiatives as the programme grows.

The support extends beyond playlists. Spotify also conducts masterclasses for artists and offers tools through Spotify for Artists, helping musicians better understand their audiences and reach listeners without influencing the creative process.

"Every artist creates because they have a story they want to tell. That process is deeply personal. Data simply helps them along the journey," he said, dismissing concerns that analytics could overshadow artistic expression.

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For Spotify, RADAR Malayalam is not simply another regional playlist. It is an acknowledgement of a music scene that has steadily found its voice outside the film industry and continues to attract listeners looking for something new.

As Vaidya summed it up, "Launching RADAR Malayalam shows our commitment to the Kerala market. We want to continue supporting the artist ecosystem and help it grow."