BANGALORE: DJ Anoop Absolute, has been working as a DJ for over 21 years. Back in those days, dance music was not a favourite among record labels and home-grown artistes like him were not given great opportunities. So, he chose to create a profile on SoundCloud and connect with music lovers who could understand and appreciate his music.
Today, he is one of the most successful DJs in the city and has even received a lot of offers for gigs from people listening to his tracks online.
Another music artiste, DJ Sue (Suraj) agrees with Anoop. "As an artiste, being active online is immensely helpful. Film producers and anyone who wants to employ us can listen to our music and get in touch with us."
Networking is definitely one of the biggest advantages of these online platforms. Three years ago, Floyd Santimano received over 10,000 views on one of his YouTube videos. "I did not personally know all these people. They were not from India. The Internet and the music got them to connect with me."
With the rising popularity of platforms like SoundCloud, Reverbnation, GrooveShark, YouTube, it is now easier than ever to promote your music, reach out to a wide audience of professionals and music listeners and boost one's musical career. Anoop says, "It is a repertoire of your music online; a one-stop shop for all music demos," he says.
Another musician, Raghu has been very active on Reverbnation since he was in college. An amateur bass guitarist, he says it is a perfect outlet to upload his original creations and covers and get feedback from the community. "It is a great avenue to meet like-minded people, connect with them and learn more about the different genres of music."
Will these platforms affect the commercial sale of music? Anoop disagrees. "These platforms give you a license so that you can protect your work. This ensures that nobody can download your music for free."
However, there is a downside to this dependency on online platforms. Rakshith Ashok, a graphic designer who started his own company Bombatt, took up music as a passion and turned to SoundCloud to showcase some of his music ranging from hip-hop, retro to electronic dance music, ambient and experimental music. He even creates parody remixes and one of his most popular one was 'The Arnab Trap' which became an Internet sensation in less than 24 hours.
He says, "The Internet is segregated. Hence, if your creation is not unique, it will get lost among all the clutter. Also, targeting the right people is very crucial." With the gamut of online music outlets out there, it is just about finding the right ones and using them effectively, says Suraj.