With international artists choosing to perform in the country, we ask: What draws them to our shores?
There is an innate thrill of witnessing a live music concert. You’re at the venue waiting for it to start, feeling squashed in a pit with strangers, claustrophobic and anxious, and hoping those two bottles of beer you chugged earlier won’t make themselves known until the show’s end. Then, suddenly the lights go out, there’s a murmur, a hush, and all hell breaks loose as the headlining act takes to the stage. After that, it’s all energy and adrenaline, culminating in a hectic yet beautiful experience.
With a host of possibilities, is anything a “must” for a concert scene? Is there such a thing as the perfect concert if we combine the correct elements? And what do people think of when you ask what makes a show great? Mohnish P, who recently attended the Post Malone concert in Mumbai, says the show was energetic. “Big shows are better for people like me because you connect with the people there, and they’re there for the same reason you are. So, there was almost an atmospheric switch when Post Malone came on. No shade to the homegrown talent, but they can’t draw a crowd in. Most people lazily stand around and sing the songs when they’re not familiar with the Indian artist; it’s just not a good concert if that happens,” he says.
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Post Malone recently performed in Mumbai at the Zomato Feeding India Concert
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The Lumineers recently performed at the BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender in Pune
In the background
Even as the confetti settles and the band goes home after a music festival or a one-night-only concert, a pertinent question to ask is, what makes India’s music market ripe for international musicians to tap into? Why are we enthused to brave traffic jams and long queues to catch our favourite acts from across the pond live?
According to the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry’s ‘Global Music Report 2022,’ the global music industry is valued at US$25.9 billion, while the Indian music industry is valued at US$219 million. While she may not figure in the top 10 music markets yet, India, at number 17 (as listed in the report), is one of the most promising for music festivals as it is home to almost 692 million active internet users, according to the recent Internet and Mobile Association of India’s ‘Internet in India’ report. The country’s internet users are predicted to grow to almost 900 million by 2025. What’s even more interesting about the Indian music market is (according to the IMI-IFPI’ Digital Music Study of 2021’) that users here listen to about 21.9 hours of music weekly as opposed to the worldwide average of 18.4 hours. Among the available platforms, YouTube remains India’s most preferred streaming platform, representing 22 per cent of the total time spent by Indians listening to music.
Jessica Xalxo, a freelance creative strategist and contributing journalist at Rolling Stone India, believes music festivals and artists need to navigate the chasm of bringing international music acts who top music charts and playlists in India while catering to the Indian audience’s spending patterns. “International acts are not doing us a favour by performing in India. However, the country’s diverse talent, recognition at platforms like the GRAMMYs, the Academy, the BAFTAs and more, and the online presence of Indians due to the country’s digital revolution make us a market worth fostering and investing in.”
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While it’s reported that Indians usually don’t pay for music consumption, the IFPI’S ‘Global Music Report 2022’ states only .4 per cent of Indians pay for music streaming services, which guides an international act’s decision to play in India largely due to the sheer size of the population
Owing to a massive population that’s digitally enabled, our access to international music has grown in the last six years, owing to the large-scale influence of YouTube as well as short-form video apps like the defunct Musical.ly, the banned TikTok, and, more recently, Reels, MX Taka Tak, Josh, Moj and more.
While it’s reported that Indians usually don’t pay for music consumption, the IFPI’S ‘Global Music Report 2022’ states only .4 per cent of Indians pay for music streaming services, which guides an international act’s decision to play in India largely due to the sheer size of the population. “Even if the festival organisers don’t price tickets exorbitantly, whatever money international acts don’t make by performing or touring a country, they will earn when Indian music listeners bolster the international artist’s digital, tour and sales imprints. These are the primary reasons driving brands, advertisers and music industry stakeholders to continue investing in, building and scaling international acts in the country,” says Xalxo.
The Zomato Feeding India Concert did great in terms of numbers, partly because most of their ticket sales, almost 90 per cent (20,000 tickets), came from the silver category, where tickets were priced between ₹ 3,000 and 6,000. “Our initiative was meant to draw attention to create awareness around the cause of hunger and malnutrition in India. So we decided to partner with Post Malone because his philanthropic endeavours resonated with our brand ethos,” says Chaitanya Mathur, global head of Zomato Live, the event vertical.
The lineup
Artist/production booking manager and festival programmer Gaurav, who requested to be quoted anonymously, tells The Established that the price of a ticket for an international artist or a band fluctuates depending on how successful they were the last year. “So a band that releases an album right before a festival lineup is announced will earn more than if they didn’t put out an album for a whole year. Another way to evaluate how much bands might be getting paid is by looking at the lineup post. The bigger the font, the bigger the cash. Artists at the bottom of the lineup, which primarily comprises homegrown talent, in the tiniest font, sometimes might not even get paid much, if they get paid at all. It’s because the festival organisers are doing these artists a favour. Not only are they getting a ton of exposure by being on a lineup with other high-profile names, but they also stand to benefit from the massive audience in attendance,” he says.
"INTERNATIONAL ACTS ARE NOT DOING US A FAVOUR BY PERFORMING IN INDIA. HOWEVER, THE COUNTRY'S DIVERSE TALENT, RECOGNITION AT PLATFORMS LIKE THE GRAMMYS, THE ACADEMY, THE BAFTAS AND MORE, AND THE ONLINE PRESENCE OF INDIANS DUE TO THE COUNTRY'S DIGITAL REVOLUTION MAKE US A MARKET WORTH FOSTERING AND INVESTING IN"
Jessica Xalxo
When we caught up with Zeenah Vilcassim, the marketing director at Bacardi India, on day two of the BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender in November, she said a festival lineup, crucial to a festival’s success, is curated from an audience’s perspective. “We’ve always prioritised homegrown talent, and then we pepper in national DJs and international acts. Previously, the Indian appetite was for rock music or even hip-hop. Now, that pool has opened up, inviting cross-genres into the lineup,” she says.
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India is one of the most promising for music festivals as it is home to almost 692 million active internet users, according to the recent Internet and Mobile Association of India’s ‘Internet in India’ report
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Zeenah Vilcassim, the marketing director at Bacardi India, the organisers of BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender in November, said a festival lineup, crucial to a festival’s success, is curated from an audience’s perspective
American rapper Destin Choice Route, better known by his stage name JID (also stylised J.I.D.), who was one of the headlining acts, says, on the sidelines of BACARDÍ NH7 Weekender, "Performing in India has always been a dream. The culture has always attracted me. Fans in the audience were shouting my lyrics, which was crazy. I'd assume the language barrier would cause problems but interacting with my fans here made me realise that music is a universal language. I got off vibes, and the energy I received was unmatched."
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