MUMBAI: With a slew of top international acts that performed and with a large number of music festivals held across the country, 2012 was a landmark year in terms of Indian live music market.

Speaking with Radioandmusic.com, NH7 co-founder and editor of Indecision Arjun S Ravi said, the year 2012 defined live music events not just in terms of numbers but in the diversity of festivals, club gigs and single-day events.

“The fact that a lot of contemporary artists are coming here shows that India has grown from being a destination for bands past their expiry dates to a venue for very contemporary acts,” he stated.

A big factor that has helped the industry grow is the sweeping change in mindset. Attending live events, concerts, festivals and club acts- are a big part of an urban Indian’s entertainment activity. According to an industry professional, over 8 lakh people attended concerts and fests during 2012.

The feasibility of organizing festivals which can easily run into tens of lakhs for a one-day event is also evident by the number of consumer and lifestyle brands that are increasingly associating with festivals. OML’s NH7 has a brand partner in Barcardi (Pernod Ricard) while events like India Music Week have 100 Pipers (Pernod Ricard).

Ravi further added, “There has been a change in the cultural mindset. People are now willing to spend Rs 2,500 for a gig or Rs 3,000 and more for a festival. Additionally, the spending is more as they buy drinks, merchandise and mementos at the events. Growth in digital sales has also helped in expanding people’s awareness of music.”

For OML, expanding its popular NH7 music festival from Pune to Delhi and Bangalore was a huge success. The new festivals were well attended with 50 bands performing and its Pune show attracted 80 bands.

“This year promises to be bigger with artists like Snoop Dogg and Norah Jones coming to India. We have a number of new apps and digital content to promote music and live events,” he said.

However there was a need for deeper understanding of music events among authorities to help in easier growth of live music events, he added.