Visva Records, the new label founded by Grammy-nominated songwriter Savan Kotecha, has formed a joint venture with Republic Records following the success of Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters.
MBW recently reported on the two fictional K-pop groups from the film seeing significant streaming success, with their songs occupying multiple spots in Apple Music and Spotify’s daily global charts.
Visva Records’ debut release, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack for Netflix’s film reached No.1 on iTunes Album, iTunes Pop Album, and Apple Music Pop Album and Apple Music K-Pop Album charts worldwide.
The soundtrack has yielded chart-topping songs like Your Idol and Soda Pop from Saja Boys, the virutal boy band from the film, and Golden and How It’s Done by the film’s girl group, Huntr/x.
On Friday (July 4), Republic Records released Golden as an official single with instrumental and a cappella versions. Variety recently reported that the song will be submitted by Netflix for awards consideration.
The partnership between Visva and Republic gives the latter the rights to distirbute Visva’s roster, which includes Los Angeles-based musician and producer Magnus Ferrell, OutStation, a five-member Indian boy band, and Tamil and Sri Lankan artist Dhee.
“The goal of Visva Records is to be an A&R-first label that champions global, diverse talent. We’re here to break down barriers in places like India and build bridges that help artists cross over internationally.”
Savan Kotecha, Visva Records
Magnus Ferrell will drop his debut single for Visva/REPUBLIC, called Miss Me Vendetta, on Friday (July 11).
Kotecha has written hits for some of the world’s most famous artists including Ariana Grande, The Weeknd, Ed Sheeran, One Direction, Jennifer Lopez, Britney Spears, Celine Dion, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Carrie Underwood, Maroon 5 and many more.
His songwriting repertoire also includes hits for Jessie J (Bang Bang), The Weekend (I Can’t Feel My Face) Demi Lovato (Cool For The Summer), Justin Bieber (Beauty And A Beat), Usher (DJ Got Us Falling In Love) and Ellie Goulding (On My Mind).
He launched Visva with an aim to develop international artists. His background also includes film and TV, having worked on soundtracks and developed projects with ABC, HBO, and Sony Animation.
Commenting on the deal with Republic Records, Kotecha said: “I’ve been working closely with Republic Records since 2013 and have experienced some of the most defining moments of my career with them.”
“Savan has been a part of the REPUBLIC family for many years now. Working together to launch Visva was a natural progression of our already strong relationship.”
Jim Roppo, Republic Records
“They are truly a worldclass team and it’s the honor of a lifetime to now partner with them on my first-ever label, Visva Records. Visva will focus on breaking global barriers, developing artists, and crafting key pop culture soundtracks. I’m incredibly excited for this new chapter—and proud that our first project, K-Pop Demon Hunters, is already bringing that vision to life and making a major impact around the world.”
Kotecha added: “The goal of Visva Records is to be an A&R-first label that champions global, diverse talent. We’re here to break down barriers in places like India and build bridges that help artists cross over internationally. Our mission is to discover real stars—from anywhere in the world—and give them the time and guidance they need to reach their full potential. I’m incredibly grateful to Monte and the team at Republic for believing in this vision, and I’m excited for the journey ahead.”
Republic Records Chairman and CEO Jim Roppo said: “Savan has been a part of the REPUBLIC family for many years now. Working together to launch Visva was a natural progression of our already strong relationship. He’s building a phenomenal roster with global reach, and we’re excited to bolster his vision in any way possible.”
Visva marks Kotecha’s latest venture after co-founding Outwrite, a Mumbai-based incubator for songwriters, in September 2024.
In late 2019, Kotecha sold a catalog of 49 of his songs to Hipgnosis Songs Fund for an undisclosed fee. Kotecha has expanded his business ventures in recent years, investing in the Swedish sound technology company Audiodo in 2022, and in record label and A&R tool Snafu in 2021. He also co-founded publishing company S2 Songs with Sonny Takhar, CEO of KYN Entertainment. S2 Songs partnered with Universal Music Publishing Group for global administration in 2019.
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