Platforms for Musicians: Where to Share Your Music and Find Gigs in India

If you are a singer, an instrumentalist or in a band in India, you have probably been told to "be everywhere". That is hard to keep up with, and each platform is built for something different.

This guide goes through platforms musicians in India use, grouped by what each is for, so you can pick the few that matter for where you are right now. We have tried to be fair: Gig'le is on this list, and so are the others.

Platforms for being heard

Instagram

Instagram is where many musicians in India build an audience. Reels let you show a performance in a few seconds, and a well-kept profile is often the first thing an organiser checks.

Good for: reach, short performance clips, building a following. Less good for: finding paid work in an organised way. Gigs arrive through DMs and word of mouth, if they arrive.

We go into this in more detail in Gig'le vs Instagram for artists.

YouTube

YouTube is where people search for music, so a well-titled video can keep being found for years. It suits full performances, covers, music videos and live sessions, and Shorts work much like Reels.

Good for: long-form performance videos, covers people search for, a lasting archive of your work. Less good for: quick feedback from other musicians, or connecting with organisers in your city.

Platforms for releasing music

Spotify (and other streaming services)

To put your own songs on Spotify, JioSaavn, Apple Music and the other streaming services, you go through a music distributor, which delivers the release to each service. Distributors commonly used by independent artists in India include DistroKid, TuneCore and CD Baby, each with its own pricing.

Once your music is live, Spotify for Artists lets you claim your profile, see who is listening and pitch new releases to Spotify's editors.

Good for: released original music, listener numbers, a profile people can follow. Less good for: covers (which need the right licenses), work in progress, or live gigs.

SoundCloud

SoundCloud lets you upload tracks directly, with no distributor, and listeners can comment on them. It is often used for demos, mixes and work in progress.

Good for: sharing demos and mixes quickly, getting comments on unfinished work. Less good for: reaching listeners who mainly use the big streaming services.

Platforms for finding other musicians

BandMate

BandMate describes itself as "the professional network for musicians in India". You can find musicians by instrument and city, post openings when your band needs someone, announce gigs and buy or sell gear. It says it is free for musicians.

Good for: finding a drummer, a bassist or a vocalist near you.

Sekeron

Sekeron is a collaboration platform for artists across music, dance, photography, filmmaking and other creative fields. You can discover artists by skill, style and location, build a portfolio, and post or join collaborative projects. It also has tools for project chats, scheduling, tasks and collaboration agreements, so you can organise the work after finding the right people.

Good for: finding collaborators across creative fields and organising projects together.

WhatsApp groups and local communities

A lot of practical information in Indian music scenes still moves through WhatsApp groups and local communities: jam nights, last-minute gigs, gear for sale, who needs a session player. They are useful, but they depend on who you know, and good opportunities are easy to miss in a busy chat.

Good for: your local scene, once you are in it. Less good for: getting in when you are new, or finding anything again later.

Platforms for finding paid gigs

StarClinch

StarClinch is an artist booking platform for events in India. Organisers use it to book singers, bands, DJs, comedians and other performers for corporate events, college festivals, weddings and private parties, and StarClinch manages the booking. Artists can apply to gigs through its app.

Good for: event work where the organiser wants a managed booking service.

Gig'le

Gig'le is a social network for India's creative community, and music is at the heart of it. Organisers and venues post gigs on the Gigs board, each with the craft, location, experience level and pay stated. You press Apply on the ones that suit you, the organiser is notified and can accept or decline, and you agree the pay and the details with them directly.

Alongside gigs, Gig'le has an Events board with open mics, jam nights and shows you can filter by craft and city, and a page for music that gathers music gigs and events in one place. The work you share on your profile is what organisers see when you apply.

Good for: finding paid gigs and events in your city, seeing the pay up front, and dealing directly with organisers and venues. Less good for: reaching a mass audience. That is what Instagram and YouTube are for.

Creating an account is free. Every gig and event lists its city, so you can filter for yours, and there is a page for what is on in Hyderabad.

How to choose

You do not need all of these. Start from what you need most right now.

• Be heard by more people: Instagram, YouTube
• Release your own songs: A distributor, then Spotify for Artists
• Share demos and get comments: SoundCloud
• Find bandmates near you: BandMate, local jams
• Find paid gigs and events in your city: Gig'le, local organisers and venues
• Get event work through a managed service: A booking platform such as StarClinch

A simple set-up to start with

1. One place to be heard. Usually Instagram, with YouTube for longer performances.
2. One place for released music, once you have originals: a distributor and Spotify for Artists.
3. One place to find work and your scene. Somewhere organisers post gigs and events near you, plus the open mics and jam nights where you meet people. If you are new to performing live, start with our guide to open mics.

Keep your best live clips up to date across all three. Whatever platform an organiser finds you on, a recent live performance is what helps them decide.

For more on why a music community matters alongside social media, see Social Network for Musicians.

Join Gig'le to find gigs and events in your city.