Dhingana
A music service that enables its users to discover indian and bollywood music across the globe.
| Date | Investors | Amount | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
| investor investor investor | €0.0 | round | |
N/A | Acquisition | ||
| Total Funding | 000k | ||
Dhingana was an online music streaming service focused on providing Indian music to a global audience. The company was founded in 2007 by twin brothers Snehal and Swapnil Shinde, along with Sushil Choudhari. The founders, former employees of tech giants like Yahoo and Symantec, leveraged their passion for Bollywood and Indian music to create a platform that offered legal and easy access to a vast music library at a time when such options were limited. The name "Dhingana" is a Marathi word meaning joy, zeal, and frenzy.
The Pune-based startup operated in the competitive on-demand music streaming market, with its main user base in India and among the global Indian diaspora. Dhingana provided a freemium service; users could listen to music for free, with the company aiming to generate revenue through subscriptions and partnerships. The platform boasted a catalog of over one million songs in more than 42 Indian languages, available on its website and through dedicated apps for various mobile operating systems including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows. Key features included the ability for users to create personalized playlists, share music on social media, and receive recommendations based on their listening habits.
Dhingana achieved significant user growth, reaching 10.5 million monthly active users by May 2013. The company successfully raised a total of $8.25 million in funding over two rounds, including a $7 million Series B round in 2012 led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Helion Venture Partners and Inventus Capital Partners. However, the company faced challenges, including difficulties in renewing a licensing agreement with major music label T-Series. In February 2014, Dhingana shut down its operations. Shortly after, in March 2014, the company and its team were acquired by the US-based digital music service Rdio for an undisclosed amount, with the founders joining Rdio's executive team to lead expansion into emerging markets.
Keywords: Dhingana, Indian music streaming, Bollywood music, Snehal Shinde, Swapnil Shinde, online music service, Rdio acquisition, music on-demand, regional music, desi music, Hindi songs, music platform, streaming media, digital music India, South Asian music, mobile music app, music startup, venture capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Helion Venture Partners