Anurag Rao is a highly respected figure in the music business, known for his two-decade career at the intersection of music, talent, and brand innovation. A musician and A&R specialist himself, Rao has been instrumental in shaping artist-centric IPs and pioneering new business models that reflect the evolving landscape of the modern music industry. In 2019, his artist management and booking agency, Canvas Talent, was acquired by Believe Digital, where he subsequently served as Director of A&R and Strategic Partnerships. With deep experience across artist development, IP creation, and brand integration, Rao’s career reflects a rare blend of creativity, industry knowledge, and strategic execution. Rao’s latest venture, Chain Reactor Music & Media, is a cutting-edge, multi-dimensional music and content licensing agency. Leveraging long-standing relationships with major labels, studios, music services, collecting societies, and a wide network of artists, Chain Reactor delivers end-to-end music licensing solutions and premium Bollywood talent for global brands, broadcasters, and platforms. Chain Reactor has recently executed high-impact syncs and music projects for Dream11, IPL, Swiggy, Mahindra motors , Tata Motors, Star Sports, Netflix and Amazon Prime, among others. In February 2023, Rao led one of India’s largest-ever multi-label sync deals, whereas he licensed 68 songs across 10 major labels in just three days for the Hockey World Cup Opening Ceremony that streamed live across Broadcast television and OTT platforms. Rao began his career with MTV in the U.S. and Asia, eventually becoming Head of Artist & Talent Relations. He played a pivotal role in launching landmark IPs including the MTV Immies, MTV Asia Awards, and MTV Style Awards, and brokered deals with some of the most influential names in global and Indian music. Throughout his journey, he has worked with artists such as Chris Martin, Mark Needham, Tommaso Colliva, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, A.R. Rahman, Colonial Cousins, Pussycat Dolls, Hoobastank, Alanis Morissette, Ronan Keating, and Baz Luhrmann, among many others. With a blend of creative vision, industry depth, and a world-class network, Anurag Rao continues to be a driving force in shaping the future of music licensing, sync, and artist-led storytelling. |
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Anurag on the Challenge for Independent Artists in Brand Sync.
"There is a very little demand for independent music into brand syncs, into film syncs, into TVCs. I think that's going to take a while. It's unfortunate... it's very tough to sync that kind of music because most of the brands... have big budgets, so they'll go for the major label, Bollywood music catalogues."
-Anurag Rao
LISTEN:
LISTEN: The Truth About Sync Licensing in India: Why Bollywood Isn't the Only Path [MIP175]
TRANSCRIPT | SHOW NOTES
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