Jubin Nautiyal: Listening culture has changed because people have stopped consuming music through videos

Singer Jubin Nautiyal feels that the lockdown has given musicians the chance to get back to the reason of why they started creating music in the first place, and talks about utlising this time, to create more non film music.

Singer Jubin Nautiyal, just like every other top musician in the country, had to call off concerts and other projects, because of the Lockdown that was announced due to the ongoing Covid-19 crisis. But, for the 30-year-old, it was more important to be a “responsible citizen” than taking a “big hit” financially.

Singer Jubin Nautiyal’s recent single Meri Aashiqui released last week and it has already received 29 million views on YouTube so far.

“As a musician, I realise I am not only responsible for the music that I put out, but also for my actions and what I say in public. Yes, we cancelled a lot number of shows, and we took a bit hit because of that. But I couldn’t be doing a concert knowing that people could get infected by a fatal disease in my concert. It’s not just about me or the other performing artists. It’s about all of us, and how we can stand together and be there for each other in times like these,” he says.

So, he decided to spend all this time with his family, learning a new language and becoming a better musician, with more focus on the non film music, which according to Jubin, “flourished” and pushed film music on the back seat.

“I believe this period helped many, not just me, in going back to the reason of why they started creating music in the first place. For me, this lockdown period is all about the things I always wanted to do. I wanted to improve on my electric guitar skills and I managed to do that. I have also been working on some English music, which I always wanted to work on and now I think it should be out by next month. Focus on creating my own music improved in this time,” he says.

He also feels that one of the reasons behind the rise in listenership is because people are now less dependent on consumer music through videos. “Since there are no more videos that can be shot for now, and only audio files of songs were being released. audiences, especially in our country who were heavily dependent on visuals, started consuming music in an audio format. More and more musicians, and record labels started releasing only audio. In that sense the listening culture changed, and that’s why independent music has sort of grown more during this period,” says Jubin Nautiyal who recently released his single, Meri Aashiqui.

The song has been one of the few non film singles released within this period, which is accompanied by a music video as well, and features Jubin Nautiyal in it.“Independent music gives a musician that chance to narrate their personal journey through music. So who can be better at narrating it than yourself? That’s why, whenever it’s my song, or I relate to a song on a really personal level, I get excited about it and I want to narrate that song through me, because I understand the meaning behind that song. In this song as well, there are many emotions that you go through during the entire video. It was really emotionally gratifying to do that, and feel those emotions as we were shooting for the video,” he says.

“It’s very important for a musician to be known, not just for his voice or for a sound that they create. A musician has their own journey that they narrate through their music, and independent space gives you that chance. And with film music being pushed on the back seat because of the lockdown, independent music flourished, and it will flourish even more now, because that’s the space, where I believe the magic happens,” he signs off.

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