Singer Armaan Malik on how COVID-19 has hit music business

Singer Armaan Malik says concerts used to fuel his business, which has been hit massively due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The live business has taken a massive hit. Artists, organisers, promoters, musicians, technicians — so many of them don’t know when they will be able to do an event or earn anything. It was their main source of income,” Malik said.

“For me, too, concerts were the main thing that used to fuel my business. I had two major college festival gigs that got cancelled. But it’s more important to be safe and I wouldn’t do a show until we know COVID-19 is on its way out. I’ve done selective digital concerts during this time and even though virtual performances are the only readily available alternative at the moment, they don’t feel as good as an actual live performance,” he added.

Malik’s popular songs include ‘Tu Hawa’, ‘Naina’ and ‘Main Hoon Hero Tera’, among others.

The singer shared that the pandemic has made people realise that the internet is going to be “the main marketplace”.

“No one can escape it. For musicians, it has become imperative to be active and engaging with their audiences on various different social platforms. Anyone who doesn’t embrace the digital age could be left back. For people who belong to the old-school of thought, this might be a scary change, but you have to accept the change to move forward,” added the singer.