Indians obsess over music experiences; is it worth it?

By Priyanka Nair , Director - Brand Solutions, GOZOOP Group

It was the year 1972. Jimmy Page and Robert Plant of the legendary British rock band Led Zeppelin were visiting India and decided to do an impromptu gig. Page and Plant walked around the narrow lanes of South Bombay and found Slip Disc, (which later became the gay pub Voodoo). They decided to perform there because of its relaxed atmosphere. This marked a significant chapter in the history of Indian music.?

A few years later, another popular British rock band, The Police, made their first mass performance in India. Parsi ladies from the Time and Talents Club were responsible for it. Sounds interesting, right? The event was a fundraiser in aid of the armed forces. They performed for 5,000 fans at Rang Bhavan, an iconic open-air theatre at Dhobi Talao in South Bombay. It was also one of the first times merchandise, which mostly consisted of T-shirts, were all sold out at a music concert. This was certainly a music experience way ahead of its time.?

Cut to 2024. India is home to some of the biggest music festivals in the world. From the folk and rock-dominated Ziro and Hornbill in the northeast, to branded events like Bacardi NH7 Weekender and Mahindra Blues, India’s music scene has now got a different rhythm. Then there are events like VH1 Supersonic and Sunburn Festival, which celebrate EDM (electronic dance music), techno, electronica, psychedelic, et al, and attract audiences from across the country.??

Global events and artists are understanding the power of the Indian audience more than ever before. For instance, the iconic American music fest Lollapalooza made its entry in 2023 with headliners like Imagine Dragons, Jackson Wang, AP Dhillon. Mega-artists like Dua Lipa, Bryan Adams are gearing up for their independent shows in India. This piece will be incomplete without the mention of Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour that’s coming to Mumbai early next year. The tour has created some good and not-so-good headlines. On that, a little later in the piece.?

India’s music concerts are estimated to generate close to Rs 1,000 crore in revenue by 2025, according to a report by consulting firm EY. What’s driving it is the youth and their YOLO (you only live once) attitude.?

The rise of overt spending culture?

According to brand-strategy specialist Harish Bijoor , music enthusiasts in India are aping what people in the US and Europe did in the eighties and nineties. Bijoor also observes that Indians are embracing the culture of overt spending. They are willing to spend on many things beyond the usual. “Today, a whole bunch of folks are fine with splurging. This is the Coldplay ticket category of consumers. He, she and they are alive and kicking,” he adds.?

Mihir Joshi , founder of a Mumbai-based creative studio, is a melomaniac. In 2004, he saw Indian Ocean perform and that opened up a whole new world for him. Over the last decade and half, Joshi has traveled across the country to listen, discover and experience different musical cultures, local and international. Joshi thinks while the music culture has evolved multifolds in the country, there is a lot to be done to meet the demand of the audience. He also thinks, “Indians have a habit of celebrating artists and making them a cult. That helps in generating far more reach for the artists. That wasn’t the case about a decade ago.”?

Having said that, India is also seeing an increased interest in niche genres and bands. For instance, American dream pop band Cigarettes After Sex, is all set for their multi-city India tour. Tickets to their concerts are sold out five months in advance.?

According to Shivansh Jindal , chief executive officer, Merchant Records , indie artists are equally responsible for putting India on the world music map. While Diljit Dosanjh is seen in different corners of the globe, artists like King, Anuv Jain, among many others have added incredible energy to the music scene in India.?

FOMO drives demand

Young Indians want to be a part of these experiences for multiple reasons. Jennifer Justin , creative partner - copy, GOZOOP Group has been attending concerts and music festivals since she was 15. “I like the idea of attending gigs and festivals because one, I get to discover new artists and genres and two, it’s more like a shared experience for me. I get to spend a lot of time with my friends. We map out things we like to do for an event together. It feels wholesome,” she says.?

Hitasha Bajaj , sr. brand solutions executive, GOZOOP Group, has similar views. It hasn’t been too long since she has been exploring music experiences. “I have been seeing a lot of content about music events on social media. Honestly, that made me want to explore it. While I like the energy on the ground, I wish we have better infrastructure to make things pleasant for audiences from end-to-end,” she opines.?

Like millions of fans, this duo also queued up for the upcoming Coldplay concert in Mumbai but were left disappointed.?

Ticketing processes need a revamp

Merchant Record’s Jindal says experience starts right from the beginning. “The fact of the matter is that consumers want a fairyland experience when it comes to things like music. To be honest, platforms are doing their best to make things easy for users. However, there is only so much that they can do when the demand is skyrocketing. The problem is what follows after that, black marketing of the tickets. That needs some serious attention.”

Brand expert Bijoor agrees with Jindal. “One solution is to issue non-transferable tickets linked to the user's Aadhaar card. If you bought the ticket, you need to use it. You can't sell it. You can't barter it,” suggests Bijoor.?

Many others that GOZOOP spoke to feel the other way of making this process fair and square is through a raffle ticketing system. They also think venues also matter to bring in unforgettable experiences. For instance, the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) has been doing a great job of curating concerts where audiences cannot use their smartphones. Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), which is fairly new, is doing similar activities and bringing in elevated experiences to music enthusiasts.?

Brands find opportunities?

From BFSI, auto to F&B, brands are making the best use of being associated with musical events. Merchant Record’s Jindal believes the sales conversation and the engagement that brands get from festivals and gigs is phenomenal. “I honestly think it’s a great time for brands to invest in musical properties. People are never going to get over music and what it brings along for them. It’s memorable,” he adds. Merchant Record’s musical property Bhoomi has been getting brand associations from lifestyle, real estate, and tech categories. They are now taking their other property Sounchk to new heights.?

Brand expert Bijoor puts it well, “This is a new society.”?

There is room for everyone; audiences have a lot more to experience, and brands have more to explore creatively to engage with them. Brands can surely make big moments through music experiences and be a part of fans’ and superfans’ core memories.?