Noor Chahal and Kayan, as part YouTube's Foundry class of 2022

YouTube has announced the new Foundry class of 2022, the company's global artist development programme that focuses on discovering and supporting talent around the world. Noor Chahal and Kayan, both Indian artists, are among the 30 artists from various genres and continents chosen for the Foundry class of 2022.

Foundry, founded in 2015, is YouTube's independent music incubator, supporting indie artists at all stages of their careers through annual artist development classes and ongoing release support campaigns.

Foundry artists are next generation entertainers, recognized for their innovative approach to music and storytelling. To date Foundry programs have supported 250 independent artists, with alumni including Arlo Parks, beabadoobee, Clairo, Dave, Dua Lipa, ENNY, Eladio Carrion, girl in red, Gunna, Kenny Beats, LostStories, Natanael Cano, Omar Apollo, REI AMI, Rema, Rina Sawayama, ROSALIA, Seedhe Maut, Snail Mail, Tems, Tenille Arts and many more talented musicians.

Pawan Agarwal, Director, Music Partnerships (India & South Asia), YouTube, "Helping discover and break new artists, while helping them navigate every stage of their career is one of YouTube Music's core goals. This is especially important for independent artists, who are navigating today's increasingly digital landscape to find stability, creative fulfillment, and a global community of fans. Foundry gives independent artists a springboard to success and we're excited to support such emerging artists and reduce barriers along their journey."

The latest Foundry class includes a global collection of artists from the US, India, Korea, Japan, Brazil and Sub-Saharan Africa. Featuring genres such as country, afropop, soul, latin urban and many more, the new class of musicians includes:

. Amari' Noelle (US)

. Ashley Cooke (US)

. ART (DE)

. AVUA (BR)

. BabyTron (US)

. BIBI (KR)

. Black Sherif (SSA)

. Bruses (MX)

. Danielle Ponder (US)

. French The Kid (UK)

. Genesis Owusu (AUS)

. HaruNemuri (JP)

. Joeboy (SSA)

. Jossman (CO)

. Kader Diaby 4Real (FR)

. Kaike (BR)

. Kayan (IN)

. Magdalena Bay (US)

. Mehro (US)

. Nemahsis (CAN)

. Noor Chahal (IN)

. Obongjayar (UK)

. RIMON (NL)

. Roxane Bruneau (CAN)

. Skiifall (CAN)

. Snow Tha Product (US)

. Sudan Archives (US)

. Thuy (US)

. TSHA (UK)

. Yoss Bones (MX)

Noor Chahal said, "Being an independent artist always comes with an essence of absolutely being true to your music as well as your audience. An artist's success cannot be measured by definite parameters, everyone has their own definition of success. I see Foundry helping my music reach new people and ensure that my potential does not go undiscovered or unacknowledged. Every independent artist needs a push like that and I am nothing but grateful to YouTube for this opportunity."

Kayan said, "Freedom. To do what I want. It also challenges me in so many ways which teaches me a lot. I guess if you're happy doing what you're doing you're successful, having said that. It doesn't hurt if I can pay my bills, fund my own music, own all of it and still have the drive to want to do better. YouTube is a crucial platform for artists. To connect with my audience and fans and to have a place to share my work with them is super important. Also to understand my audience better and work with that kind of information is such a great strength to have. Foundry is the perfect program to help me really grow what I'm working for."

Foundry is intended for independent artists with a vision for their own success, as well as to assist them in navigating the demands of today's music industry. YouTube offers partner strategy support, marketing promotion, and seed funding for content development, which can be used for anything from trying out new music to diversifying video creation formats.

2021 Foundry alumni Seedhe Maut shared, "We constantly strive to push our creative limits to the maximum, and our vision has always been about creating as well as experimenting with music that pushes our boundaries. Being selected as part of Foundry gave us the opportunity to expand our vision and share our music with a wider community. YouTube as a platform has been exponential in sharing our work and connecting with more people across the globe."

SEE ALSO :
Parle, Amul and Britannia are the most chosen FMCG brands of India in 2021: Kantar report

Explainer: Why is America's largest crypto exchange Coinbase in trouble?