Are Instagram reels and trends influencing the art of music production?

"When I released ‘Chaand Baaliyan', it wasn't meant for Instagram (IG) reels, despite it being a short song. Even when I am composing right now, I do not think of one-min content. I think of doing justice to the composition," says Aditya A, singer of the popular song ‘Chaand Baaliyan', which has been used in over one million reels by people, including Bollywood celebrities.

The song, which plays for less than two-minutes was released in 2020 and recently became a big hit, especially on IG. Aditya credits the popularity to the song's upbeat tunes suggesting a ‘happy mood', which is also a reason why many people were seen experimenting with it visually on the reels. "There is a lot that can be done with the song. IG is more of a visual platform; people like to showcase what they are doing and a similar kind of music backdrop works," he adds.

With TikTok and then IG reels driving the demand for shorter audio-visual content and instant entertainment, the debate about a disruption in the traditional way of music production is an intriguing one; a subject which initially gained momentum with Spotify's growth and the inclination towards four-minute songs. With reels greatly influencing music trends and popularising many lesser known artists, a new space has emerged for creators who can produce for and release music exclusively on reels.

According to Paras Sharma, director, content and community partnerships at Facebook India (Meta), for IG's new #1MinMusic property, over 200 new original songs and videos are being exclusively created by both national and regional artists and people can use these songs to make their reels more entertaining. Some of the popular artists, who are launching their music as a part of this property, are Dhwani Bhanushali, OAFF (Kabeer Kapadia), Arivu, Shaan, Benny Dayal, Mame Khan, Himanshi Khurana, Kaur B, and Aksh Baghla and many more.

Does it affect the artist's creative process?

"For creators like me, it has been easier to create one-minute music, because it is easier to come to the point, when there is not much to say. When it comes to sharing stories, emotions, these ideas will never die. People would just find different formats and ways," says music producer Yashraj Mukhate, who shot to fame with his satirical musical compositions on IG reels during the pandemic.

While the musicians agree on the need to restrict the song's length to less than four minutes whenever necessary, they do feel the need to compose full-length songs in order to do justice to the story and emotions that the artist wants to convey through the song.

In a bid to create original compositions, Mukhate is currently working on long-form content and prefers to use the traditional format of a complete song. However, he believes shorter songs are more fun to work with, in terms of humour, relatability with the audiences and the ability to add multiple hooks in one video.

For Aditya, it is the subject and genre that matters. "For an independent musician, we are creating audio first and we have to be crisp. We do not have an extended story line as in film songs. When I see that the song is boring or not exciting me anymore, I cut that part out. But I do not plan it that way though," he says adding that the artist's comfort with the format is also an important factor that defines the vibe of a song.

A creators' approach to a tune or song also depends on the platform for which the artist is producing the audio. In times when people listen to music on various platforms, the length and the mood of the song does not make a considerable impact on the artist's art and creativity, but it does mean that they have to be mindful about the social media trends. Though people scroll reels for instant entertainment, they surely have Spotify and YouTube for greater indulgences.

"I think good music will still be discovered in anyway. Once we get introduced to a new medium, we have to accept it. The only thing is use it being more alert and do not compromise with the quality. It can be difficult to create shorter music and it's subjective too," says Aditya.

Improved access to industry networks

As IG reels are significantly proving to be a catalyst for defining songs' trends and hits, film or independent music, established music producers from Bollywood or OTT platforms are already working on collaborating with IG music creators for upcoming releases. This, in a way, has opened up avenues for independent musicians to work with industry professionals and access multiple opportunities.

Mukhate believes IG reels have helped people discover diverse content from different parts of the country and every artist has their own viewership and popularity in terms of numbers or impact on the users. The fluidity of the platform has helped many artists build an audience for their talent. Additionally, through #1MinMusic property, Sharma says, "The platform aims to bring in more artists, artist management companies, music distribution companies and music labels onboard and while continuing to work with the music industry for new music launches, artist discovery and other music showcasing opportunities."

However, one has to take social media popularity with a pinch of salt. The downside is, Mukhate and Aditya highlight, the short-lived famed, extensive competition and the domino effect of influencers using a musical hit with variations for their content, thus affecting the authenticity of the tunes. With everyone creating similar audio-visual content every day on the platform, sustaining in the creators' environment is one of the biggest challenges for the musicians.

As Mukhate rightly puts it in a nutshell, quoting music composer Salim Merchant, "IG music is like fast food. You really enjoy it and it is funny, but it is not healthy. People share it and it's peaking for weeks, but after that it's gone. It is good for instant validation, but it does not stay with you."

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