How to Become a Singer in India?

Singing is a noble profession passed on through generations in India. Singers in India have a historical reputation as true artists and singing has been liberated into various formats in India such as Hindustani and Carnatic music.

If you are trying to explore the opportunities in singing, we have a guide “How to become a Singer in India?” made for you. 

Although there are few religious attachments to the vocal format, the singing profession extends beyond these bonds and is a vital part of the Entertainment industry.

Indian history clearly appreciates the singing profession even when the land was ruled by kingdoms irrespective of religious affiliations. 

Singers can vocally please the gods. Some even believe to bring rain to the land through singing.

The power of singing is not just in terms of popularity but also in the soothing effect it can bring to mind. If you aspire to become a professional singer, check out our guide for more information. 

Who is a Singer?

A singer is a professional and a trained artist who can land voice to characters in music albums or movies or any audio-visual entertainment format and also confidently perform on stage in front of a live audience.

While the primary role is to sing, there are many professionals involved to take your voice to the people.

A good singer must be well-versed in learning new lyrics, and dialects, recording and memorizing for further collaboration with musicians. 

Becoming a singer is majorly by training and definitely not academic. There are no academic courses to master your vocal cords to tune them at will.

With singing talent, the progression in the singing profession is very high and far as well. However, the younger one starts the better to learn Indian singing formats. Indian music formats have produced World famous singers whose songs still linger in the ears. 

Why Do You Want to Become a Singer?

Singing is one of the most natural activities of humans. No matter how bad, we sing at least when alone.

But, not everyone is gifted with an amazing voice to penetrate human ears and bring calm to the minds.

There used to be times when singing and learning various formats would be a hobby, but today a singer can make a living out of their pleasing voice. 

Today, singing doesn’t just have religious attachments but cultural ones as well. Every culture has adopted a format for its representation.

But in every culture, there is one thing in common. That’s people with amazing vocal control to adopt a format and give life to it.

Singing has turned a profession a very long time ago and there are opportunities available that cannot be filled with an interview or an aptitude test. 

One must take control of their voice when they are young and also do singing exercises and vocal training.

Mastering a format will give one confidence to try other formats and languages as well. Indian formats of singing have so much power that they are the best foundation to master every other.

Singing is not everyone’s cup of tea, however, if you can master your vocal cords, it is definitely your right to choose singing as a career. 

Types of Singers

Singers need to establish a format or style through basic foundation and training. The different types of singing styles are mentioned below:

1. Hindustani Music

This format of singing is majorly adopted in the Northern states of India and is regarded to be influenced by Persia and central Asia. It is further divided into Classical and Non-classical ragas. 

2. Carnatic/Karnatic Music

Karnatic music is South India’s classical singing method. The singing format is more affiliated with Hindu origins. The emphasis here is on vocals than on music.

3. Hindu Devotional Song

Popularly known as Bhajans, the devotional singing format depicts the Hindu mythology of a particular deity. It is religiously affiliated with Hinduism and is called Kirtans in Southern India. 

4. Ghazal

Ghazals were adored by the Mughul rulers and is influenced by Persia. It is more poetic than musical and is the Urdu equivalent of Khayal. Ghazals are even sung in Central Asia, Iran, and Turkey. 

5. Folklore

Some of the most famous folklore in India is from tribal regions. Almost every Indian states have its own folklore singing formats adopted in the local languages and tribal communities. 

6. Bhangra

Originated in the Indian state of Punjab, Bhangra is a funky music format. The format is more popular in northern states and the main concert will be the Baisakh festival. 

7. Indian Pop Music

Most Indian film music has adopted a pop format in the movie songs. They use heavy electronic music equipment to support the singing. They include a touch of desi lyrics ad dialects as well. 

8. Sufi Devotional Music

Sufi singing has an Islamic religious affiliation. Sufi music is credited with keeping the music spirit alive in the Islamic world while orthodox Muslims tried to stamp it out. 

Skills Required to Become a Singer

A singer should possess certain skills to become a professional artist. Although there is no academic route to the career, self and assisted learning can go a long way in the career. These are some of the skills required to become a singer. 

• • Ability to read and memorize the lyrics

• • Should be comfortable understanding different languages and dialects.

• • Control over breath and voice

• • Emotional and audience awareness

• • Confidence to sing in front of a live audience

• • Communication and understanding of musicians’ requirements

• • Must adapt to different dialects and languages

• • Must have good body language 

• • Be socially active with fans and followers

Step-by-Step Guide to Become a Singer

A career as a Professional singer is mostly built from scratch through practice, training, and external help. Although there are certain academic ways to build a voice, the most popular way is non-academic. The step-by-step guide on how to start a singing career is as follows:

• • One must start at a young age of 5-10 years when their voice is young.

• • Aspirants can enroll in singing academies and select a format to build on it. 

• • Basic foundation must be established in the singing academy.

• • One can get early exposure by participating in reality programs for kids. 

• • Many regional and national entertainment channels produce reality TV shows with Singing as the primary talent. 

• • One can join advanced academies for furthering their singing after basic training. 

• • One can even get a Diploma in different singing formats through an academic route. 

• • Get noticed through social media and reality shows to the right people in the industry. 

• • Give auditions to the prospective projects and be determined.

• • Build a network and collaborate for better visibility and continuously work on your talent. 

How Much Money Does a Singer Make in India?

The earnings/salary of a singer depends on the growing popularity in the industry. Singers get paid from Rs.50,000 to Rs.25,00,000 per project or song. The higher the popularity, the higher the pay. Singers do not have a fixed monthly income. They are paid on the project to project basis. They can also have other sources of income. They are

• • Build social media followers and monetize.

• • Be part of concerts and sing in front of a live audience.

• • Create podcasts on adagio streaming platforms. 

• • Create a Youtube channel with ad monetization. 

Top Music Schools in India

Here is a list of the best music institutes/schools in India:

• • Madras Music Academy, Chennai

• • Delhi School of Music, New Delhi

• • Shankar Mahadevan Academy, Bangalore

• • Hamsalekha Music Academy, Bangalore

• • Calcutta School of Music, Kolkata

• • Swarnabhoomi Academy of Music, Chennai

• • The True School of Music, Jambrung 

Ways to Get Exposure as a Singer

There is no pipeline to follow to professionally establish as a singer. But, getting noticed through various platforms and being noticed by the right people in the music industry will surely open up a lot of opportunities. Some of the ways to get exposure as a singer are

• • There are many reality shows on TV channels where one can become a participant.

• • Leverage social media like Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, etc to showcase your talent.

• • Attend audition calls by music composers and companies. 

• • Partner with music bands and perform in concerts.

• • Digitally and physically collaborate with others in a similar field.

• • Meet new people and sing in front of strangers to build confidence.

• • Attend music and film events to get recognized by industry associates. 

• • Get locally recognized by participating in events and organizations.

• • Build a dedicated follower base to grow your online reach.

• • Continuously work on your singing skills and maintain uniqueness.

• • Create a youtube channel and get recognized through posts. 

Pros & Cons of Having a Career in Singing

Pros of Becoming a Singer

• • Being a singer, one can travel to different locations and countries for work.

• • One can become famous with an exciting career like singing.

• • Singing career can be made a side hustle as well.

• • The work of a singer doesn’t need physical effort except for vocals. 

• • By establishing professionally, one can leverage other channels like Social media for income. 

Cons of Becoming a Singer

• • Not everyone who can sing well can get established professionally.

• • Singers have to be away from home quite often.

• • Most singers should have a second job to meet their ends.

• • Physical presence at the work location is a must in this profession.

• • A singer has to be spontaneous and must be socially available. 

Summary

1. 1. A singer is required to perform in front of a live audience in concerts and reality shows without hesitation. 
   2. A lot of preparation has to be made by the singer such as memorizing the lyrics, and understanding and syncing with the music. 
   3. For most singing is not a full-time job. However, with passion and determination, one can become popular with their voice and earn more than any job. 
   4. There Is no academic route to master your singing and only determination in training and being adaptive to different regional and linguistic dialects will assure success.
   5. To become a singer, one needs exceptional skills which are mainly vocal in nature, and maintaining that voice is the single biggest asset for a singer.
   6. Like every job, singing has its pros and cons. However, there is no compulsion that it needs to be a full-time role. Evaluate your options before jumping into mainstream singing.
   7. Having the foundation right, a singer can get many more associated opportunities in academies, bands, events, etc. 
   8. Not everyone is gifted with a great voice and destined to soothe people with their songs. If you are talented and skilled enough with a beautiful voice, you have got to try singing to reach a bigger audience.