South Korean over-the-top service provider Watcha said Thursday it plans to jump into the music market.

The company established a subsidiary Wpeer last year to launch Watcha Music Publishing, which will become a digital music distribution platform that will connect artists with investors, production firms and other associates to help them to publish their titles.

Watcha Music Publishing is expected to officially launch in the second half this year after securing a reasonable number of artists and partner companies required for the platform to take off, the company said.

“The platform would be useful for artists who do not have contracts with agencies. We hope it offers support to independent artists to make their ways into the market,” Watcha‘s official said.

Watcha Music Publishing will come with multiple features that could support artists in ways that they can promote and fundraise themselves. The detailed plans on how the company will develop the platform, however, have not been decided, the company said.

Watcha could add streaming service to its platform, according to the industry sources. The company said it is considering the option, but no decision has been taken yet.

By Shim Woo-hyun (ws@heraldcorp.com)