Jun 21, 2026 4:00pm IST
World Music Day 2026: What India’s Music Creators Want From The Industry
Every year on June 21, the world pauses to celebrate the magic of music. Playlists are curated, stages are lit and streaming platforms flood our feeds with tributes to the universal language that cures our heartbreaks and soundtracks our triumphs. But behind the glossy music videos, the viral reels, and the stadium lights lies a starkly different reality for the people who actually build these sonic worlds.
This World Music Day, we didn't just ask artists about their favorite melodies. We asked composers, lyricists, producers and music promoters what they truly need from their careers and the industry.
The answers were beautifully raw, deeply passionate, and surprisingly urgent. They didn't ask for glittering trophies or hollow applause. Instead, they spoke of a deeper hunger: the desperation for original storytelling over rehashed, "tried-and-tested" formulas, and the desperate need for mid-sized live venues where independent talent can actually survive and grow.
They spoke of the aching gap where female independent superstars should be, and the therapeutic power of songs being buried under pure commercialism. Ultimately, they spoke of dignity: the financial certainty for a lyricist whose words define a generation and the authorship credit for a sound engineer whose mix gives you goosebumps.
Here is what the people who make the music are fighting for, in their own words.
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Shankar Mahadevan, Composer and singer
Music wants sincerity, it wants honesty, it wants divinity and love.
Jonita, Singer
This world music day, I want more females dominating the charts. That's not just for me, but the industry as a whole.
Papon, Playback Singer, Composer
"On World Music Day, I think everyone behind a song shares a common aspiration: to create meaningful music that truly connects with people. Recognition and opportunities matter, but so does the freedom to experiment and stay true to your art. As an industry, I hope we continue to value originality, nurture raw talent, and celebrate every single contributor who helps bring a song to life."
Madhubanti Bagchi, Playback Singer, Composer
"We need dignity. That’s the word I keep coming back to: financial dignity, creative dignity, and authorship dignity. The moment you strip those away, you reduce an artist, a composer, a lyricist, or a sound engineer to a mere service provider. You cannot create something that genuinely moves people when you feel like a vendor.
A lyricist can write a line that becomes the heartbeat of a generation, yet still be unable to tell their family what they do for a living with any financial certainty. A sound engineer can deliver a mix that gives you goosebumps and walk away completely uncredited. We talk constantly about the 'golden age' of Indian music, but we’re building it on an infrastructure that doesn’t dignify the people holding it up. When financial, creative, and authorship dignity are firmly in place, the work takes care of itself."
Chaar Diwaari, Singer
"The opportunity to build a sustainable livelihood, definitely. Every artist you see making a calculated decision to 'pander to the masses' does so out of fear—the fear of not being able to make a living while experimenting with their true capabilities. If the industry becomes structurally more lucrative for independent creators in the future, it will create a far better environment for everyone involved."
Lisa Mishra, Singer-Songwriter
"India has one of the largest music industries in the world, a global musical presence, and the financial resources needed to produce several female superstars. And yet, we are unable to have even a single independent song by a woman chart at number one unless it features a male singer. What music really wants is an Indian audience that champions women, supports their music, buys tickets to their concerts, and shares their work just as proudly as they share that of men."
Jasleen Royal, Singer-Composer
"I’d love to see an industry that genuinely celebrates each other’s successes. We spend so much time competing that we sometimes forget how much stronger the ecosystem becomes when we actively support one another.
I’d also love to see more female talent being structurally enabled. We have no shortage of incredible women creating music in this country, yet very few female-led songs make it to the very top of the charts. That points to a massive opportunity for the industry to create more pathways, alongside decision-makers who actively support, amplify, and provide equal opportunities for female voices."
Swanand Kirkire, Lyricist and Playback Singer
"Honestly, on World Music Day, if you ask what creators and technicians want most from this industry, the answer is everything: better pay, creative freedom, and a genuinely supportive work environment.
More than anything, we want a space where we aren't forced to blindly follow trends or mimic what's already working. Music thrives on variety, and different people bring vastly different textures to the table. We need an environment that lets everyone truly be themselves.
Better pay is essential, but awards? I’m not so sure. What really matters is enriching the musical experience for both ourselves and our audiences—giving people a wider, richer spectrum of music to listen to. That is what is genuinely important."
Anupam Roy; Singer, Lyricist, and Composer
“I would like to wake up with an amazing melody in my head and a remarkable thought behind it. Then, I want to start creating the most beautiful song in the world. For the industry, I would like the bigger players to opt for originality over tried-and-tested formula music. We need to support creativity and take a break from rehashed musical products. Let the world hear new music.”
Vasundhara V, Jazz & Blues Singer, Author, and Voice Optimization Coach
"I would like singing to become a collective community activity among those who don't even consider themselves singers. Science has shown us the massive neurological and mental health benefits of singing, and we need to remember that music is bigger than just performance and spectatorship. It’s just like writing: writing is for everyone, even if calligraphy is only for a few. I want singing to descend from the exclusive sphere of entertainment and become something everyone does for their own well-being."
DJ Sartek (Saarthak Sardana), DJ & Producer
"I want more space to experiment, more global collaborations, and more opportunities for homegrown talent. The goal isn’t just to land bigger shows; it’s creating music that outlives transient trends and becomes part of people’s core memories. I hope the next generation of Indian DJs and producers gets the respect and opportunities they truly deserve."
Akshath Acharya, Singer
"For me, it's the glaring gap in our live infrastructure. Right now, we either have very small club venues or massive stadiums, with absolutely nothing in between. We desperately need mid-sized venues where developing artists can actually grow and build a core audience.
I also hope the industry makes more space for originality. There are so many young artists out there with unique stories and fresh sonic ideas, but there's always an underlying pressure to follow trends. The music that really lasts is usually the music that dares to be different. I want artists to feel free to take risks and just be themselves."
QARAN, Producer & Composer
“My hope for the future is that music remains a place where the art can speak as loudly as the marketing. Artists should be able to connect with fans in their own way without feeling like they all have to fit the same content-creator mould.”
Mohit Bijlani, Founder, Team Innovation
"What we need most today is a stronger foundation: streamlined regulations, greater talent investment, and, critically, world-class venues and arenas. India must become a priority destination that international artists actively plan around, rather than an afterthought or an add-on stop after routing through Dubai or Singapore. At the same time, we must strengthen the broader ecosystem. A thriving music economy depends not just on headliners, but on the thousands of behind-the-scenes professionals—from lyricists and producers to technicians and managers. Every stakeholder needs creative freedom, fair recognition, and the ability to build a career within a transparent, professional environment. The ultimate aspiration is for India to emerge as a global music powerhouse—not just as a market that consumes international talent, but as one that actively exports its own artists and cultural IP to the world."
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