Software Engineer

Warner Music Group to open tech hub in Bengaluru, led by Mahesh Rao. August 18, 2026 The company announced an expansion of its Global Tech division on Tuesday (August 18) and said the facility is scheduled to open officially in September. The hub will work across music distribution and data infrastructure, spanning, in WMG's words, "core data pipelines to audience and marketing data products." Engineering work in those areas will draw on AI and emerging technologies, according to Warner Music Group. Mahesh Rao, Director of Software Engineering and Site Lead for India, is leading the project. His remit covers WMG's engineering strategy in the country, along with organizational design, budget and operating model. Rao reports to Toronto-based Chief Technology Officer Leho Nigul, who was promoted to the role in late 2025, succeeding President of Technology Ariel Bardin. Before joining WMG, Rao worked at Walmart Global Tech India, where he led software development. WMG says recruitment is underway across multiple technology disciplines and that the Bengaluru site builds on work done by its India team over the past year. "We're building a world-class music tech organization right here in Bengaluru," said Rao. "The caliber of talent in this market is exceptional, and we're looking for ambitious engineers and innovators who want to help shape the future of the global music industry," Rao added. "The caliber of talent in this market is exceptional, and we're looking for ambitious engineers and innovators who want to help shape the future of the global music industry." Mahesh Rao, Warner Music Group Nigul said: "Bengaluru isn't just an extension of our tech team - it's central to WMG's global engineering strategy." "We're investing heavily in local leadership, modern tech stacks, and globally competitive compensation to attract engineers who want to solve complex, high-throughput systems problems at the intersection of music and AI," added the WMG CTO. The Bengaluru hub arrives as WMG builds out its technology operations through acquisition, in-house product and AI licensing. The company agreed in April to acquire Revelator, the B2B music platform formed in 2012 that specializes in digital distribution, rights management, royalty accounting and real-time analytics. That deal has since closed, and Revelator's technology is being integrated into WMG's independent distribution division, ADA. In June, WMG acquired Sureel AI, the attribution startup whose technology traces how AI models use artists' work in training and generation. Internally, WMG's tech team built WMG Pulse, an app launched in beta in May 2025 that pulls streaming, audience and earnings data into a single view for artists, songwriters and their teams. WMG also struck licensing deals with AI music companies Suno, Udio and KLAY Vision in November 2025, settling its copyright litigation against the first two in the process. The company announced a partnership with Stability AI the same month. On the market itself: some 178 million people streamed music online in India in 2025, but only around 8% of them paid for it, according to a joint report from EY and FICCI. Paid subscriptions reached 14.4 million, up 37% YoY, on paid streaming revenues of INR ₹10.3 billion (USD $118.2 million). Luminate reported that 84% of India's streams were ad-supported in 2025, and that premium streams grew 42% YoY, adding 23.3 billion premium streams over the year. Warner Music India launched in 2020 from a Mumbai headquarters and has expanded through a run of deals since. Those include a majority stake in South India's Divo in February 2023, the acquisition of artist management and live events company E-Positive that October and a minority stake in live entertainment and ticketing platform SkillBox in 2024. Warner Chappell Music India launched in April, bringing WMG's publishing arm directly to the market. Jay Mehta, Managing Director, Recorded Music and Publishing, India and SAARC, said: "Since establishing our presence in India six years ago with our Mumbai headquarters, WMG has been deeply committed to the market." "Our global leadership recognizes the incredible opportunities here - from our vibrant creative ecosystem to our world-class technology talent," added Mehta. "I'm delighted that Mahesh is spearheading our expansion in Bengaluru." Universal Music India bought a 30% stake in Bollywood production house Excel Entertainment in January, in a deal that valued the company at approximately USD $267 million. In July, UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge said the company's new releases in India would go exclusively to paying streaming subscribers for their first 72 hours, starting at the end of August. HYBE opened its fifth global headquarters in Mumbai in September 2025. WMG did not disclose the size of the Bengaluru team, the investment behind the hub, or its location within the city.Music Business Worldwide

Warner Music Group is opening a technology hub in Bengaluru next month to expand its Global Tech division. The hub will support music distribution, data infrastructure, audience and marketing data products, and AI-driven engineering work. The US-based music and entertainment company is hiring for several technology roles. This expansion adds to WMG's existing presence in India, where Warner Music India operates from Mumbai. Mahesh Rao, WMG's director of software engineering, will lead the new site. He reports to CTO Leho Nigul and previously worked at Walmart Global Tech. The hub forms part of WMG's global technology organisation, which oversees licensing, royalty management, fan engagement, and AI projects.

Warner Music Group reported second-quarter results that exceeded Wall Street expectations, with revenue of $1.86 billion beating estimates of $1.80 billion. The company posted adjusted earnings per share of $0.51, surpassing analyst forecasts of $0.39. CEO Robert Kyncl attributed growth to improved subscription streaming revenue from new pricing arrangements with digital partners and momentum in music publishing. Operating margin rose to 16.4%, up from 10% in the prior year. During the earnings call, analysts questioned the impact of ongoing per-subscriber price increases. CFO Lou Dickler said these contributed approximately 3.5% to subscription growth and will continue benefiting results. Management emphasised that margin expansion will be driven by catalogue growth, restructuring savings, and targeted investments. Physical music sales also benefited from successful releases, including Madonna's number-one album in the US and UK.