The Soundtrack of Success: Celebrating 5 Years of Artium Academy

Five Years …

In today’s start-up world, it’s a significant achievement for a company to reach the 5-year milestone. For us at Artium Academy, it is more than just a passage of time. It marks a shift in music education in India and the beginning of a global movement to establish music as a fundamental life skill. Our global recognition and innovative approach have not only inspired us but also made us proud of our journey.  

Since our inception in 2021, Artium Academy has become home to over 35,000 students worldwide, and the number continues to grow. But there’s more to it than just numbers. Behind every statistic lies a student who has discovered their voice, a parent who has witnessed their child’s confidence bloom, and a dreamer who has found their rhythm in life. We have basically changed how online music education is perceived, delivered and celebrated, transforming what was once a luxury into a necessity for holistic growth.   

This is the story of how a start-up born in the pandemic era became India’s first and only globally recognised online music education platform. It is our story of how maestros and technologists collaborated with a single vision:

“To make quality music education accessible to everyone, everywhere”

It is a celebration of five years of innovation, dedication, and unwavering belief in the power of music. 

The Beginning: A Dream Born During the Pandemic 

The story of our inception began with a personal paradox. Born to a Hindustani classical Visharad mother and a PhD scientist and educationist father, Ashish Joshi’s house was filled with music, yet it remained untaught. His father emphasized the need to focus on mainstream academia and viewed music as a waste of time otherwise. So, despite inheriting his mother’s musical genes, Ashish never received formal music training.

After years of singing in college competitions and informal performances and working in the music industry, he realized that India lacked a structured education system. Despite being a nation with an unparalleled musical heritage, there was no reliable, globally recognized approach to teaching music on a large scale. 

India has never seen a music education brand like Trinity, ABRSM, or RSL, because our music education system has remained rigid, informal and confined within traditional boundaries. Compared to Western music education, India lacked the structure and standardization. However, the times were changing, and Indian parents no longer viewed music as a luxury; instead, they saw it as an integral part of life.

Ashish witnessed this generational shift in how new-age parents viewed and valued music education. Thus, during the global pandemic in 2020, when things moved online, Ashish, along with Vivek Raicha and Nithya Sudhir, decided to transform this realization into action. Thus, what began as a beta launch in early 2021 turned into an official launch in September 2021. Despite early challenges, the team imbued the startup spirit and became lean, agile, and deeply mission-driven. We went on to establish music education as a foundational life skill for every learner.

Building the Foundation: When Maestros Meet Innovation

Music education is sacred, rooted in tradition and grounded in the wisdom of masters. And, to claim you have the most structured, advanced music education platform? 

You need to have authenticity.

So, instead of making hollow promises, we formed an academic board with industry veterans as active architects of the curriculum. Sonu Nigam became the patron-in-chief for popular & film music – Hindi, KS Chithra became the faculty head of popular & film music – Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, and Telugu. For Indian classical music, including Hindustani and Carnatic classical music, Shubha Mudgal and Aruna Sairam joined as faculty heads. For piano, Louiz Banks was appointed, and for guitars, Raju Singh. 

Additionally, our in-house voice science expert, Mr. Ananth Vaidyanathan, was on board. This was unprecedented because they brought with them unparalleled expertise across verticals. No other performing arts platform can claim legendary musicians actively shaping the curriculum, leading teacher training and serving as faculty heads. 

Why did these legends align with us? You may wonder…

The answer lies in a larger vision. 

As mentioned earlier, India has never had a music education brand comparable to renowned international brands, because our music education system remained unstructured and within conventional boundaries, and was never taught on this scale. 

We were the first brand to dream of taking Indian classical music to the world with the same respect and structure that Western music education commands. We wanted to honor the tradition while making it accessible to aspirants.  

Maestros clearly saw this vision, and they understood we were not just another platform, but a genuine movement dedicated to establishing Indian music education on a global stage. They believed in this vision deeply enough to devote their time, expertise and credibility to it. With their trust and involvement, we transformed Artium from a promising startup into a credible, authentic institution.

The Artium Difference: Transforming Music Education for All Ages

With a vision for music education backed by industry legends, we set out to redefine music education for the digital age. We offered a comprehensive range of online music classes across multiple genres and languages. So, whether you’re drawn to the online Hindustani classical vocal or Carnatic classical vocals classes, the pop sensibilities of online Western vocal classes or the magic of online Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, or Malayalam film music, we have meticulously curated each of these courses. Not only vocals, but we also offer tailored programs in online piano classes, online guitar classes, and online keyboard classes, ensuring your musical passion finds a home. 

We believe in a simple, yet powerful philosophy: Learn, Practice, Perform. With us, students engage in 1:1 live personalized learning with certified teachers, ensuring their pace, style and challenges are addressed individually.

These aren’t recorded content; they are real-time, interactive instructions from experts who have been personally vetted and trained as per the methodologies of Artium’s music maestros. With the help of the latest technology, we enhanced human connection rather than replacing it. Using AI-enabled practice studios equipped with digital metronomes, tanpura and tabla, learners can practice between lessons with intelligent feedback. Through our zero-latency video conferencing tool, we ensure that nuances of music, subtle shifts in tempo, emotional inflections, and precise hand movements are not lost due to tech glitches. With an almost impeccable call success rate, we have created an infrastructure as reliable as an in-person classroom. 

The teacher ecosystem has also experienced a significant surge in the last five years. From 59 certified teachers in the early days, we now have over 300 teachers, all trained in our standardized, maestro-approved teaching methodologies. This has helped us ensure consistency in quality and personalization, a balance that most online platforms fail to deliver.

Milestones that Mark a Movement

In 2021, we had 500 students enrolled in our online music classes; today, we have over 35,000. Our growth trajectory tells the story of a platform that echoed deeply with learners worldwide. However, these were more than just numbers; they represented a strategic growth in Artium’s reach and impact. We now serve students across 20 countries, bringing together Indian and global music traditions to aspiring musicians around the world. 

Another significant milestone was the launch of Artium Originals in 2022. We partnered with Warner Music India and Global Music Junction to create original content and curated performances that showcased our pedagogical approach in action.

While the growing trust of students was a testament to our impactful work, the icing on the cake was the recognition of our hard work by TIME Magazine. We were featured in their World’s Top 350 EdTech Companies list for 2025, an acknowledgement that addresses education’s most pressing challenges: making quality, culturally significant learning accessible to all.

However, the most significant milestone occurred in March 2025, when we launched our Globally Recognised Music Programme (GRMP), which is internationally accredited. GRMP represents a structured, 5-year curriculum comprising 252 lessons across graded levels. Students can pursue graded learning paths (with formal assessments and certifications) or non-graded paths (focused purely on learning without examination pressure). This made us the first and only online music platform in India, offering a globally recognised, accredited music program, the significance of which cannot be understated. 

An Artium student completing the GRMP now holds a credential that’s recognized internationally in universities, music conservatories, and professional settings worldwide. Indian music education has finally taken its place alongside Trinity, ABRSM, and RSL. The sacred art form that was once dismissed as a “wastage of time” now offers students globally portable credentials.

This is precisely what the maestros envisioned: Indian music education taking its rightful place on the world stage.

Going Phygital: Building Omnichannel Dream

While we served global audiences with our online music classes, we always knew that a human touch to music education could go a long way, and that could come only through in-person learning. Thus, in June 2024, we launched our first offline center in Alwarpet, Chennai, followed by a second center in Thoraipakkam, Chennai, in October 2024. These offline centres complement online learning and represent our omnichannel music education brand, offering learners the flexibility to learn online, offline, or through hybrid models according to their preferences.

Here’s a virtual tour of our Alwarpet and Thoraipakkam Centres.

Artium Alwarpet Centre:

Artium Thoraipakkam Centre:

The success of our offline centres has elevated our ambitions. Now, we plan to expand to 50 centers across India by 2027, with a specific focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Our vision is clear: Music education with quality teachers should be accessible to all. A child in a smaller city should have the same opportunities to learn from our certified teachers as one in Mumbai or Bangalore.

Community & Culture: More than Just Music Classes

From the outset, we recognized that music education is about fostering a community of learners and performers, rather than merely transmitting information. That’s why we conduct regular master classes with legends – intimate sessions where students can learn directly from Sonu Nigam, KS Chithra, Aruna Sairam, and other faculty maestros. These are not your regular passive sessions; it’s an interactive learning experience where students can interact, understand the creative process, receive feedback, and draw inspiration from the masters who have shaped Indian and global music.

Through our online musical showcases and annual reality talent hunt show, Artium Superstar, we provide thousands of learners with the opportunity to perform and be heard. While the music classes are motivating, the real test comes when they perform in front of an audience.

Artium Superstar Finale 2024:

Student Performances at Weekly Artium Showcases:

Artium Originals – A platform to showcase musical talents:

Through these virtual performances, learners at all levels, from beginners to advanced, get their moment to shine. Regular PTMs and structured feedback ensure that learning is transparent, collaborative and cultural. This helps parents understand their child’s progress, challenges and the areas where they require more support and practice. This transparency fosters trust, enabling families to make informed decisions about their music education journey.

The Impact

Led by Ashish Joshi, Vivek Raicha and Nithya Sudhir, in 2020, Artium Academy embarked on a journey to bridge the gap in India’s music education landscape. We brought together maestros, technologists, educators and dreamers with a single vision: To make quality music education accessible, structured and globally recognized. 

And in 2025, that vision has evolved into a thriving ecosystem where 35,000+ learners across 20 countries are discovering their musical voice. Today, even a child in a small town can learn online vocal classes from a teacher trained by Sonu Nigam. They can learn online Hindustani classical vocal classes, online Western vocal classes or online film music classes with the same relevance as traditional conservatory training. Today, Indian music is no longer confined to concert halls and homes; it is taking its well-deserved place on the global stage.

The belief of the maestros, the leap of faith taken by students and the trust of all those parents, we are proud to say that our vision has perfectly aligned with theirs.

But guess what?

As said by our Patron-in-Chief, Sonu Nigam,

“We started with a vision to democratize music learning”, and this is just the beginning…”

The Road Ahead: Next Movement

As we celebrate five years, our gaze is firmly fixed on the future. Our commitment to expanding into Tier 2 and 3 cities represents our intention to democratize music education across India, making it accessible to every corner of the country. The innovation at Artium will continue on multiple fronts. AI-based tools are being developed to tailor learning even further, to identify each student’s unique learning style, strengths, and areas for growth. 

We are also exploring AR integrations to enhance the visual understanding of instruments and techniques. Additionally, community features are being improved to enable students to collaborate, perform together, and build supportive learning environments.

However, most importantly, we are committed to establishing music education as a mainstream pursuit, moving away from the cultural narrative that “music is a hobby” to “music is foundational to a well-rounded life”.

The next chapter in our story will be written by the next 100,000 learners who join us. It will be written by communities that embrace music as an integral part of their lives. It will be written by the innovations yet to come and the boundaries yet to be broken.

As we stand at the crossroads of this musical journey, we realise that Artium Academy isn’t just an online music education platform. It’s a movement to restore music to its rightful place in our lives and culture. It’s a testament to the belief that every person deserves access to quality music education, regardless of their location or background.

The future promises to be even more transformative. But that transformation will only happen if you, whether as a student, parent, educator, or simply a music lover, choose to be part of this movement.

Join us in writing the next chapter of India’s music education revolution.