I’ve been researching about the state of indie music in Pakistan for a personal project. I am attaching links to articles/twitter threads/reviews/podcasts that served as some of my sources. They do a great job at highlighting the many challenges faced by young and budding musicians across the country – some of which include:
Income disparities based on gender
The corporate stronghold over the music industry
The lack of sustainable sources of income for budding musicians
Terrorism and politics and their impact on live performances
Exploitative, and now dormant record labels
Musicians from the 80s and the 90s and how they continue to control the industry today.
Death Knell for Pakistan's Music Industry – Madeeha Syed
Traces the history of record labels (Fire Records, EMI) in Pakistan, what led to their eventual decline and how this impacts young musicians today.
Who Killed the Music – Manal Faheem Khan
Discusses politics, terrorism, the decline of band culture, record labels, Bollywood and how these impacted Pakistan's most powerful creative voice.
Put on a Record – Maheen Sabeeh
Talks about Coke Studio's hesitance when it comes to releasing and showcasing original music, and the impact of the platform in the post-2000s era.
Ahmer Naqvi on musicians from the 80s and the 90s, and their long-term impact on the Pakistani music industry (Twitter thread)
Discusses the monopoly older musicians enjoy over the current industry, and how that precludes the identification of fresh talent and sounds. Especially when the market is dominated by corporate music shows that want palatable music.
An end unto itself: The politics of Pakistan's Indie music – Shayan Naveed
Features insightful discussions on the Westernization of Music during the Zia regime and the impact of the Youtube ban on the music scene. Features interviews by Ali Suhail (Takatak), Umer Khan (PRB) and Wisdom Salad.
How much money can you make as an emerging musician in Pakistan? – Meiryum Ali
Super in-depth article about gender and its impact on the income you earn as an artist, the ad hoc foundations of the industry, a decline in the number of concerts and corporate control over music.
Why do we depend only on ‘Coke Studio’ to bring us new talent? – Ahmer Naqvi
Traces how the induction of newer artists into Coke Studio has changed over the last few seasons, and poses the question: "Is it going to be the sort of show that promotes only a certain type of music, or one that introduces new artists"
Where is ‘Coke Studio’ Pakistan headed? In its ninth season, it’s not clear any more – Ahmer Naqvi
Highlights restrictions on creative freedom for artists in newer iterations of Coke Studio.
Plight of the Pakistani Musician: Faraz Anwar – The Pakistan Experience Podcast
A long, depressing, personal story about the shape our music industry has taken narrated by one of the most incredible guitarists Pakistan has ever seen.
Natasha Noorani's ‘Choro’ and the cost of going indie – Asfa Sultan
An article less about the song (which is sad, we need more actual music reviews) and more about Natasha's take on being an indie artist in Pakistan.
Non-Scientific Visual Guide to Big Corporate Music Shows – Hamnawa.net
Helped me keep track of the sheer number of Pakistani corporate music shows. Some of them are really easy to forget.