The Future of Music: Hamza Kazi on Trends and Innovations

In an exclusive interview with Deccan Chronicle, Hamza Kazi, Head of Music, Dharma Cornerstone Agency (DCA), reveals what's next for artists and audiences. He also talks about how technology and fan communities are reshaping the music industry

With your extensive experience in the music industry, what trends do you see currently shaping the landscape, and how do you think they will evolve in the next few years?

I believe three main changes will take over the next five to ten years in the music industry. Firstly, Indian artists will start greatly valuing their communities of superfans or core fans who will do everything - presave songs, stream them on the first day, watch music videos, make reels on the songs, buy tickets for tours, buy merchandise, and even follow artists around for unannounced intimate pop-up appearances. Also, WhatsApp broadcasts and websites like ‘Bands in Town’ will further enable artists to connect with their fans directly. I think this is something a lot of artists are focusing on recently.

Meanwhile, we are witnessing an increase in live music, with venues opening up in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. This is happening because a vast majority have access to the Internet now and thanks to Instagram, kids in small towns are seeing their counterparts in cities attend concerts often. While the frequency of concerts in Tier 2 or Tier 3 may be less, you still have massive numbers attending because everybody wants to live that experience so they will ensure that they attend every event possible. Before 2020, artists would tour five to seven cities max, but now, they are touring in smaller towns where promoters are still able to fill up venues. This is leading to a growth in touring culture.

Thirdly, artists are realising the power of releasing good content that they need to own. In a typical label or film scenario, there’s a rights buyout. If a song goes on to make 20-30 crores, the artist actually does not earn anything. However, now, indie artists are starting small but are consistent in building a fan base that’s constantly streaming their songs. They are realising that at some point, one of their songs will break, earning them a significant amount that would otherwise not be possible if they would’ve given up ownership of their songs, like Mitraz, for example. It applies to artists who write and compose their own songs. This is the new power of fandom which will take over the power of forced marketing.

As a drummer and business development expert, how do you think technology has changed the music industry, and what opportunities or challenges do you see emerging from these advancements?

In any industry, technology has its positives and negatives. The positive - because of AI generation tools and distribution platforms like Spotify and Believe, artists can make and upload a song in less than a couple of hours. However, self-quality control needs to happen - just because you can put out a song in an hour or two, doesn’t mean you should.

Artists should spend time developing quality creative content. They can use the tools to efficiently speed things up - like using a sample library or an AI beat generator to create a beat or using free mixing and mastering tools that can bounce a decent mix in 10 to 15 minutes instead of sitting for days to mix a song. These tools may not replace all the quality work but might be a threat to bedroom mix engineers and programmers. Coming to drumming specifically, over time, live drumming sessions have reduced considerably. Previously, every song required a drummer for the studio recording. Then drum programming replaced this. Of late, even the requirement for drum programming has reduced due to midi libraries and beat generators where one can just pull in a beat out of the air. Another new trend is typing in the kind of beat you want, and an AI music generator will drop options. However, it might take a computer or an AI tool multiple iterations to create a unique beat while a live musician will be able to create something truly different because of the life experiences that person may have lived through.

Secondly, because everybody is using technology to make music today, audiences are often listening to computer-generated music. So, when they suddenly hear a completely live or organic song, they latch onto it without realising that they love it because organic music sounds different. This is due to certain subconscious musical characteristics like having minimal vocal correction or quantization and actual ‘one take’ live performances, to retain the human elements. For instance, Anuv Jain doesn’t fully autotune his vocals on his tracks to capture the essence of a live take. Artists will need to bring in a personal touch, full of emotions, and then use technology smartly to create organic music that will stand out in the clutter.

What advice would you give to upcoming artists in today’s competitive industry, and how can they stand out and get noticed by labels and audiences alike?

My first advice is - do not get into music to become famous or make money. I started drumming not because I wanted to play for a famous rock band, a Bollywood artist or earn a living but to express myself using music. And the tool that enabled me to do this was the drum kit. I used to put 4-8 hours into drumming, not knowing what it would lead to. All I wanted was to be the best drummer, at least in the country.

If you want to make “famous” songs, that’s a problem. I find it fascinating when people say, “Ek viral gaana banana hai.” You don’t make a viral song. You make a song - whether rock, acoustic or rap and then it possibly becomes viral. Also, it is a myth that only labels or movies can make big songs. You don’t need fancy recording studios; you can make a hit song even in a bedroom with a good melody, great lyrics, unique composition, and an emotional performance. At the end of the day, it’s the quality of the song that matters. There will be people who will like it - great content always finds its audience. For instance, our artist Laqshay Kapoor’s song ‘Dil Se Dil Tak’ from the movie ‘Bawaal’ entered the Spotify Top 50 Charts randomly, seven months after the release without any marketing push! It was because the song was so good that it found its audience.

So, the artist’s aim should be to improve their craft to create great music and not chase fame. Then, find the means to put that music out for people to find it. Nowadays, several tools are available to reach out and let fans know you’ve put out content. If a hundred people like your song, they will talk to another hundred people about it, and the cycle continues. That’s how an organically marketed song becomes popular or “viral” if you will. There are also labels and management agencies waiting to find the next big song or artist, while music data apps like Soundcharts track data across countries and platforms and analyse which artist is about to break out. If you are good and have the right mindset, you can be discovered through any means, and opportunities will come to you.

Having worked with top labels like Universal Music, Sony, EMI, and T-Series, what do you think sets Dharma Cornerstone Agency (DCA) apart, and what vision do you have for the company’s future in the music industry?

Firstly, Sony, Universal, T-series and EMI are music labels. But Dharma Cornerstone Agency is a management agency. We look into several aspects related to an artist and their careers - their social media and PR, live performance, band members hired for their live shows, the type of content they need to put out, the type of collaborations, and artist persona creation, among other things. Our services also include live show bookings, tour bookings, brand endorsements and integrations, and content curation.

Unlike a label, we do not make money from the streaming revenues of artist content. Our agenda is for our artists to release content through which they can build fans. These are fans who will stream their songs and more importantly buy a ticket if they announce a tour. So, we help artists release content - independently or through a film song that we bring to them, or it could even be a song from a Dharma movie that is the right fit for the movie and the artist. It could also be working with a label. In fact, several of our artists are signed to labels, where we take care of all management-related work with the label. We will curate songs and make decisions on whether our artist should collaborate with another artist, release a specific type of content or not and negotiate the prices. We also discuss the marketing plan to ensure we get the best deal for our artists. Recently, we got into a partnership with One Mind Music - Arjun Kanungo’s label and we are very excited to see what the future holds! So, in short, we are a management agency that also provides ancillary value-added services for content work.

I believe that in India, a management agency that passionately executes an artist’s vision is missing. We aim to strive and achieve the vision of our artists. If our Bollywood artist wants to sing the next ‘Kesariya’ or do an international tour, or if an indie artist aims to release six songs in a year and get as much organic pull as possible, or if they want to be associated with various brands, we will assist them in executing it. Our vision is to absorb the vision of the artist and execute that in a 10x better manner.

How do you balance your creative passion for drumming with your business acumen, and how do these two aspects inform and influence each other in your work?

Music has always been at the centre, while other things progressed on the side. I have been into music throughout high school, my engineering days, and while pursuing my MBA degree. Even when I was doing my corporate jobs, my passion for music never died. I would always work from hotel rooms, airports, cars, and even when I’m on stage sound checking. I believe that if you are truly passionate about something, you will find the time to do it right.

Business development and drumming are in some way similar, as both demand passion and hard work. As I tread both paths, it serves to my advantage. Like, when I am talking to an artist, I can help them understand the business aspect of a deal, as an artist. I can, at times stand by an artist when there is a creative difference, despite a lot of money being at stake. This is because I would not personally align with it as an artist. When I’m talking to brands or promoters, I talk as a corporate professional, explaining an artist’s point of view but ensuring that business takes centre stage.

The idea is to strike the right balance between commerce and creativity and find a midway mark. The beauty of it comes out only if I am doing both. People thought I would give up drumming after switching to the management side. But I am still performing with my band, Coshish, Armaan Malik, and DCA talents like Vidya Vox. Due to my exposure to both sides, it gives me multiple perspectives. I cannot explain how I do it, as it comes naturally to me.

What initiatives or programs do you think are essential for nurturing talent in the music industry, and how can industry professionals, labels, and organizations support emerging artists in meaningful ways?

There is a lack of basic music media literacy, which is very important for artists to navigate the industry. I have taught drumming at IIT for eight years, and I have had my students come up to me and tell me how I helped them understand music better and exposed them to artists and theories. Basic education, coupled with the right training, can go a long way.

Music artists are not aware of the music laws, for example, even the difference between master rights and publishing rights. There should be courses introduced for the artists to understand the legalities behind producing and releasing music, so they do not become victims of exploitation by the biggies in the industry. Management agencies must conduct workshops to make their artists understand the business side of music.

I have made it mandatory for my team to take certification courses, which are available on YouTube, Google, and Udemy. The idea behind this is to groom yourself in an all-encompassing way. Music organisations should also curate masterclasses for budding artists to get technical and legal training from industry experts. I conduct masterclasses for drum brands like Mapex Drums and Paiste Cymbals, which I endorse, and after every session there are so many kids asking so many questions. It shows that there is a hunger for knowledge but a limitation of good resources. I feel formal education through certificate courses, training sessions, and masterclasses conducted by experts is essential for artists and hopefully will come to light soon!