In Conversation With Gurpreet Singh, COO And Co-founder Of ‘One Digital Entertainment’
It just does not require courage to take the plunge as an entrepreneur in one’s teens, it takes determination and meticulous planning. And Gurpreet Singh, currently COO, co-founder and one of the main creative brains behind One Digital Entertainment, is a bright example of that.
He launched his company in 2012 which now claims the title of ‘India’s Most-watched Digital Creators’ Network’ besides being the first certified network in India working with YouTube and online creators. Today One Digital Entertainment runs around 1500 channels, has around 300 artists under its banner, right from Badshah, Raftaar, Armaan Malik, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and many more. Also last year they made headlines after signing up with Nokia and re-creating Nokia’s signature jingle.
There’s so much more to Gurpreet, his company and their exceptional projects. We found out from the young man himself in an exclusive conversation when he was in Bhubaneswar recently to attend an event.
Tell Us About Your Illustrious Journey So Far.
I have been a part of Viacom 18, looked after the entire digital business of MTV and ColorsTV besides heading content productions for Hungama, its north India acquisitions and the international business of Hungama Mobile. During my professional career, I saw a lot of my friends in the music industry – singers and musicians struggling to make a name. Being at MTV, I was hurt to not help such talented people and get their content out to consumers.
It was 2012; digital was booming and I noticed there were not many independent music channels. It was then I decided to support independent musicians through my business model. That’s how One Digital Entertainment was born. With this company, we started working with artists, educated them to raise their own YouTube channel, manage their YouTube business, and distribute music to third party platforms like Saavn, Hungama, iTunes etc. We signed Raftaar five years back when there was no single music video in the digital market. We used to create lyrical videos with him and put up on his channel. That apart, we are also working with TV channels and third-party platforms to create products for independent artists.
Give Us A brief overview of the digital space as you see it.
I think digital has done wonders for the music industry. There was a time when only the programming head of a TV channel used to decide what kind of content should be rolled out. Experimenting with music and its different genres used to be limited back then. But because of the digital space, now anyone sitting at their home can create good music, release great content and engage with audience on their own by launching their YouTube channel. Also, audiences love this entire digital ecosystem and the honesty with which artists present their work. There are so many platforms now like Musical.ly, Shazam etc through which songs are becoming a hit.
Do You Think That IGTV Might Take Over YouTube?
Anything is possible. We work closely with Instagram team, in fact when IGTV got introduced; we created some of the videos for its launch day. YouTube has obviously spent a lot of time in understanding the digital space, has a great recommendation engine and is, of course, the default search engine for videos today. So, it will surely be a tough battle overtaking YouTube.
Which Digital Innovation Is Your Company Working On Currently?
Being a content company, we keep creating interesting content which will engage maximum people. Right now with Badshah, we are co-producing a web series called ‘Lockdown’ which will launch on ZEE5, Zee’s Entertainment App. The idea behind this series is to lockdown about 20 singers for 24 hours to create a musical extravaganza and promote good talent in this process. We have already shot seven episodes with people like Badshah, Raftaar, Sachin-Jigar, Kailash Kher and others. I believe people will like this show and will love to see the real side of their favourite artists.
Best Celebs You’ve Worked With And Why?
I love everyone and it’s very difficult to point out a single person. But the clients with whom I have started working at an early stage; seen success together and those who’ve shown trust in the work we do are truly special to me.
Your Advice To People And Music Enthusiasts Trying To Make A Name And Career In The Digital Space.
Firstly, try understanding how this entire ecosystem works and I must say it’s not rocket science. Don’t be scared, don’t keep waiting in the game for big opportunities to knock on your door, rather just start doing it.
Was This Your First Time In Bhubaneswar?
Although I had heard a lot about Bhubaneswar from my business partner, I had never visited the city prior to this visit.