Karan Chugh - I Plan to Release My Original Songs to Help People Realize That Life Is a Celebration and We Can Do Whatever We Put Our Mind to (Singer-Podcaster 10m+ Views)

I realized that singing is something that I’m naturally good at, but I never took it up seriously. My career aspirations at that point were of becoming an entrepreneur and joining my family business, “7th Heaven”, a pan-India bakery and café chain, currently having 250+ outlets.

I plan to release my original songs in the near future with the aim of encouraging my audience to be themselves, to help them realize that life is a celebration and we can do whatever we put our mind to. At the end of the day, if I leave this planet making society even a little better, I will consider myself successful.

1. Tell us more about your background and journey?

I was born into a family of entrepreneurs. No one in my family has a background in music, but ever since I was a child, without any formal training I had a basic sense of pitch and rhythm. My school teacher recognized my talent at an early age and sent me for inter-school competitions, which I then ended up winning.

2. When did you first decide you wanted to pursue music and how did you start?

At the age of 18. I realized that music is my true calling. I had an inexplicable passion in me to learn singing and that’s when I started learning Hindustani Classical Sangeet. When I took up singing seriously, I thought the only way to make it would be by singing in Bollywood. That would mean I was dependent on someone else to give me a break.

However, in the past few years, I saw the parallel rise of the Independent Music scene in India. Multiple YouTubers and Independent Artists were seeing great success with their originals. That gave me the courage to follow my passion and create opportunities for myself.

I launched my own YouTube Channel and struggled to get even a hundred views initially. It would take days to gain one new subscriber. It is quite demotivating when you work tirelessly and put out something and then no one watches it (except your family, because well, they have no choice. but I knew that I had the talent and things would turn around.

A few years into it, things did turn around, but the struggle remained. Once millions start watching you, you start working even harder to maintain it. It’s just wiser to befriend struggle and accept it as a part of the process.

3. Is it a financially stable career?

Singers earn mainly from Live Shows, Events, and Brand Endorsements. However, brands and shows come to you once you’re popular. During the initial years, one would have to depend on their family or a part-time job to support themselves.

Once you gain popularity, this career can be very lucrative.

One gets shows and brand deals that pay very well. Popularity though does not mean having mere numbers on social media, it means that one has a sizeable community of loyal followers that love and support everything that you do.

4. What is your idea of success or your mantra in life?

Over the past two years, I have seen success on Social Media, wherein my mashups have reached out to over a crore individuals, garnering appreciation from across India. However, it's the comments and messages that I get from my fans that I truly cherish.

When they tell me that I inspire them to work harder in life or that they resort to my music when they feel depressed, it truly makes my day. The positive impact that I have been able to create in people’s lives is what I consider my biggest achievement

5. Is formal training required or can one train themselves purely on the basis of talent?

A naturally gifted artist can have a basic sense of pitch and rhythm, however, they may struggle to reach their full potential without formal training. Formal training only helps accelerate and enhance one’s skill. It’s a systematic approach that helps you develop varied skills that are needed to become an accomplished musician. While it is possible to make a career without formal training, I would recommend that one seeks formal training if they have the means for it.

6. What piece of advice would you like to give to future aspiring artists?

The reality is that it is quite tough to make a name in the industry. Enter the music industry only if you’re truly passionate.

My advice for every upcoming artist is to be themselves. That will be your biggest USP. No one can be a better you, so have faith in yourself and trust your own conviction.

Another key factor for success is persistence. Most musicians fail because they give up too soon, sometimes it takes years for you to break out.

It’s also equally important to upgrade your skills and evolve with changing times and trends. When success hits you it's easy to be deceived by likes and comments that make you believe you’re the best musician out there but never fall for that trap. The only thing we know in life is that we don’t know enough. Always keep learning.