Armaan Malik between Bollywood and independent music in India

Over the past decade, the soundtrack of Indian fame has evolved. Playback singing still defines the heart of Bollywood. Yet, a new generation of artists is expanding how and where Indian sound travels. Independent music in Indiahas shifted from a parallel pursuit to a visible marker of cultural relevance.

The proof is increasingly hard to ignore. Spotify’s Top 10 songs in 2025 feature a mix of Indian independent songs alongside Bollywood soundtracks. 

Armaan Malik occupies a rare position in this transition, working across Bollywood playback, independent releases, and international collaborations. “Independent songs never made the cut earlier,” says Armaan Malik, multi-lingual playback singer, songwriter, and composer, who also has independent releases. 

Prateek Kuhad made it to Barack Obama’s playlist (cold/mess) in 2019 for his original music. Independent artist Hanumankind's song Big Dawgs gained momentum in July 2024 and led to a Coachella performance. 

“Hanumankind would have never found that kind of fame through just playback singing in India,” says singer and musician Nisa Shetty, whose work spans playback collaborations with AR Rahman and Arijit Singh and original independent releases. “Indian indie singers are breaking the wall behind which playback singers have lived in India,” she adds. “Indians today find the original identities of singers more relatable, as compared to a playback singer giving voice to an actor.” 

Bollywood is no longer a musician’s only endpoint in India.

Independent music in India and changing revenue models

Bollywood films have changed, and so has the music economy around them. As independent music in India expands its commercial footprint, creative legitimacy is no longer limited to film soundtracks. “Take Yashraj Mukhate, went viral  sampling tracks on Reels in 2020, and now has a massive following and  brand collaborations. Non-commercial music is entering commercial spaces,” says Aditya N., singer, music composer, and music director.

“The business model has evolved as well. Revenue has shifted from cassettes and CDs to streams, views, and subscriptions on platforms like YouTube and Spotify. At the same time, credibility and recognition can now come from non-film platforms: An international DJ playing an Indian artist’s track on a global stage, shows that music discovery and validation extend far beyond Bollywood,” says Parth Pandya, a producer and music supervisor from Mumbai. 

That shift has also altered what a Bollywood hit can realistically offer a singer today. “There was a time when singing one Bollywood song alone would pave the way to other projects. But that’s not the case today,” says Anand Bhaskar, a singer-composer who has worked on Mirzapur, Showtime, Masoom, and Bombay Begums, besides fronting the Anand Bhaskar Collective. 

Music consumption itself has become increasingly playlist-driven. “People are only listening to songs now because they are a part of a certain playlist for them. The attitude towards trying to figure out where the song is from or who it’s by doesn’t exist anymore. Audiences today like a song like they do a product, not who it’s by,” adds Bhaskar. 

“We also realised that audiences knew our voices but didn’t know the faces” - Armaan Malik

For Malik, these shifts are also reflected in how Bollywood music is being made.“There aren’t as many big productions with leading stars and massive albums like Sanjay Leela Bhansali or Yash Raj Films or Dharma Productions. A lot of the big-budget films are super mass-ey action flicks, leaving no scope for a deep love or emotional song,” he says. 

Earlier, songs functioned as narrative pauses. Today, films integrate music into storytelling more seamlessly, leaving fewer moments where a song exists purely for performance. 

“It used to be special and challenging when I sang for Ajay Devgn or Salman Khan and had to sound like them,” recalls Malik.  

Plus, even the promotional cycle for songs has crunched down to a month. “Music needs to have a little more time to get into people’s hearts and minds, which can’t be [achieved in] two weeks. Earlier, a film would have seven or eight songs, with every song being promoted for a month each,” he adds. 

The rise of music supervisors and fragmented soundtracks 

Another significant shift reshaping the mainstream Indian music industry is the rise of music supervisors over the last five to seven years. Increasingly, films and OTT shows are assembled from a pool of tracks rather than built around a single musical voice.

“Today, a film or show doesn’t have one music director but multiple directors, musicians, and composers. Even songs by independent musicians that have already been released are synced as part of the score,” says Aditya N.  

For playback singers navigating this shift, the consequence was visibility.

“Punjabi pop, unrelated to films, was picking up with performers like Honey Singh, Hardy Sandhu, Jassi Gill, and Diljit Dosanjh releasing singles and music videos. That opened the eyes of everyone in the Hindi music space, who then started experimenting with non-film Hindi music. We also realised that audiences knew our voices but didn’t know the faces,” says Malik. 

Independent music has cycled through visibility before. Indie pop peaked in the 1990s before receding in the 2000s, when remixes dominated the charts. A more sustained recalibration began in the 2010s, particularly within Punjabi music, which leaned heavily into non-film singles and artist-led music videos. For playback singers, these shifts have translated into a different kind of ambition.

“Playback singers appearing in their own music videos, touring internationally, and collaborating across cultures reflect a new kind of ambition, one that embraces Bollywood while also stepping confidently beyond it. India’s music culture isn’t moving away from its roots; it’s expanding outward,” says playback singer Neeti Mohan. 

A steady build-up of this ecosystem became especially visible in 2020, when film releases slowed and original music briefly occupied the centre of public attention. 

Live performances and the visibility of Indian playback singers

Live performance has become central to this revival. India has  hosted major international acts in recent years, while  Indian musicians  like Diljit Dosanjh and Hanumankind have performed at global festivals. Playback singers have also expanded into solo shows and branded IPs. 

“Their gigs in India were usually huge free for all concerts organised by the government. Today, playback singers are performing at music festivals, solo shows, besides branded IPs,” says Malik. He notes that international collaborations can also expand a global audience. Malik has shared the stage with Ed Sheeran “Some of my most exciting work has come from stepping outside the traditional Bollywood format,” says singer Kanika Kapoor. “Those songs reached audiences who didn’t discover me through films at all.” 

AsIndian playback singers rethink visibility beyond the studio, live performances have become a critical site of reinvention. Artists like Shalmali Kholgade, who delivered hits such as Lat Lag Gayee(2012) and Balam Pichkaree (2013), are using that recognition to build original music alongside high-production shows. 

“The production level of live shows is insane because it’s not just about getting a great sound system but fire elements, dancers, an excellent stylist, because everyone is watching India on a global scale today,” says Shetty. 

There is also a clear economic shift. “Playback singing doesn’t pay that well unless you’re Asha Bhosle. And royalties are absent in playback singing in India. And live shows can earn a musician double or triple the amount. Plus, in live shows a musician can wear what they want, and people will see their face!” says Shetty. 

Indian playback singers and identity

For Malik, this shift has been deliberate rather than reactive. “Playback singers became so dependent on film songs that they forgot their individual journey needed attention as well. But I’m not just a Bollywood playback singer. I have done English pop music, music videos with my face on it, and built a fanbase for me and not just my voice. Musicians also need to educate their listeners,” says Malik. 

The objective, Malik explains, is sustained community rather than momentary recall “Fans need to be invested in the next song, irrespective of genre. Building that community is what will separate you from being just called a playback singer to being called an artist,” he says. . 

Malik found this recalibration easier than earlier generations, having entered the industry in 2014, when social platforms were already embedded in music discovery. Even then, he says, it took over two years for audiences to understand that he sings in English to express himself. 

If a musician is primarily known for their Bollywood playback singing, does the audience actively seek out their independent releases? “No—which is sad,” says Bhaksar. 

Film and OTT work, however, often provides the financial buffer that enables independence. The social media economy has further narrowed perception. “Earlier, singers weren’t being called to sing one type of song, but a variety of songs—a sad track, pop, a dance track. Like Shaan or Sonu Nigam or AR Rahman do. One singer could fit multiple moulds. Not anymore,” adds Aditya N. 

Visibility, however, does not always align with skill.  “Jasleen Royal got so much backlash for her opening act for Coldplay in Mumbai, but more attendees knew the lyrics to her songs, not Coldplay’s,” says Shetty.  Royal’s set primarily comprised songs she’s sung in Bollywood films. 

So, is Bollywood still the mainstay? 

Bollywood continues to function as a scale engine for musicians, particularly in terms of reach. “Bollywood is still the mainstay because if a musician works on a project like Dhurandhar, and is a major part of the soundtrack, they are immediately guaranteed eyeballs because of how large scale the project is. A film will have way more fans than an independent musician would,” says Bhaskar. Placement within a film or OTT soundtrack continues to offer credibility that circulates back into the industry.

For Malik, the relationship with Bollywood has shifted over time. “When I debuted there was no other way but the Bollywood route. But today, Indian independent music is as strong today, if not stronger, to give musicians that recognition. It’s now that Bollywood wants to work with independent indie musicians, not the other way round,” he says.  

What has changed is not Bollywood’s relevance, but how much choice artists like Malik now have within it.