The biggest question facing the live music industry in these barren times is this: how does one ensure uncompromised sound quality for a virtual gig? Let's read the writing on the wall. Concerts, as we knew them to be, are not coming back in the near future. The pandemic has dashed all hopes of any crowded music event taking place at least this year. That's the general feedback we have been getting from promoters in the Indian indie scene who are going back to the drawing board in the meantime. Some of them are wondering, how do we create a bridge where the audience doesn't feel short-changed about the listening experience, and where the artistes also receive the remuneration that they are due? So far, the answer seems to lie in using the Zoom app in conjunction with a virtual high-quality audio streaming platform like Gramrphone. That's what Gaurav Khemka, co-founder of an events firm called On That Note, tells us a day before he forays into the nascent sphere of live online concerts.

Aashna