Thanks for watching, please like and subscribe! Singer Pragathi Guruprasad switches off her camera with a click of finality. She has just finished recording a vlog for her YouTube channel, but before she can edit it, shes off to class at the University of California, Los Angeles. Shes been balancing this double life for a while now; but she doesnt mind it, as she says she owes her true metamorphosis to the beast of the digital age: social media. And this is what she is using exclusively to promote her first-ever world tour, which was announced late last month.

Increasingly, young independent musicians have been using social media as a way to promote their work be it through videos, event invites and fan pages. Whats new is how they are tapping into their database of followers to decide their plan of action in the real world, including tour dates, venues, set lists and more.

Working with social media management company, Pubblisher, Guruprasad has been strategising, using her 3,00,000 plus followers on both Facebook and Instagram, and sizeable followings on Twitter and Snapchat to work out the details of each show. Social media platforms have changed the definition of being a public personality, so while it gives me space to express myself, it also gives me a direct connect with what my fans are thinking and what they want from me, says Guruprasad. Being in this spotlight, she says, is exhausting and exciting in equal measures.

Global reach

Its a sentiment that young Indo-Canadian singer, Jonita Gandhi, knows all too well. When I started uploading covers online, they were simply videos of me in my basement, singing karaoke tracks into my phone. Based on feedback, I realised that it was a great way to hear back from the people who I was singing for. It has clearly worked. In six years, she has established herself as one of Bollywoods youngest leading female playback singers.

Although Gandhi spends more time in the studios at Yash Raj nowadays, she has a lasting love for online platforms. Shes all-too-familiar with going viral, but says the math isnt that simple. I dont think theres really a formula to it, but I would say that artists should try to be themselves and utilise the tools and resources available to help them reach their audiences. Out of sight, out of mind is very true in this case, so stay active and connected, she says.

Staying original

Guruprasad and Gandhi have capitalised on the global audience. As they streamed their covers, they fuelled a new phenomenon: an independent music scene that is wholly online.

Sanam Puri and his band call the change an explosion of access and availability, which gave them a new lease of life. You dont have to rely on what is broadcast any more. Instead, creators can upload content from their mobile devices. This has allowed us to share our work, in our own style, says drummer Keshav Dhanraj. Often called Indias answer to One Direction, Sanam the Band is one of the most-subscribed YouTube channels in India, with 2.4 million subscribers in just five years.

We compose, produce, record, shoot, edit, and release our own material; its the sort of freedom and strength that helps us grow, vocalist Puri adds. The band prefers to keep their voice as authentic as possible. Instead of focusing on whats trending, we like to put out our own message, says bass guitarist Venky S.

Authenticity is a running theme. We get the opportunity to let our personalities be seen through social media, as well as our music, Gandhi says. As her audience has grown, the challenge is maintaining the organic nature of her videos. Shows can be impersonal: I want to take that online connect to the live space to thank the people who have stuck with me for so long, concludes Guruprasad.

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To the online beat - The Hindu