Virtual universes are transforming fan engagement, bringing music lovers closer to their favourite performer in immersive, artiste-curated spaces
Fans can listen to the entire discography in the studio, and even jam along to songs with the karaoke setup
The music industry is a fertile ground for innovation—from vinyl records to digital downloads to streaming platforms, and now to digital immersive experiences, the industry has continuously adapted to changing technologies to reach audiences in new ways. Indian Ocean has been a pioneer for the rock scene in India, with their first release in 1993 with an eponymous album, and with subsequent hits such as Ma Rewa and Kandisa, and film collaborations such as Bandeh (Black Friday, 2006) and Tu Kisi Rail Si (Masaan, 2015).
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In light of their 35th anniversary, in collaboration with Metastar Media, Indian Ocean brings a cutting-edge platform for fan interaction—their own Artisteverse. In this digital immersive experience, fans can deep dive into the legacy of the band, plumped with exclusive content such as documentaries and tutorials, their entire discography, and even a karaoke room.
All the members of Indian Ocean—(from left) Amit Kilam (drums and vocals), Tuheen Chakravorty (tabla and percussion), Himanshu Joshi (lead vocals), Rahul Ram (bass guitar and vocals), and Nikhil Rao (lead guitarist)
Amit Kilam, drummer, tells us the inspiration behind the collaboration. “When new things emerge, sometimes you just try them out for the experience,” he says. “It felt like a fun and fresh way to interact with fans, especially for those who want more immersive content. It also happened to be something Shatadru [Sarkar] was passionate about, so we decided to give it a shot.”
Sarkar, founder of Metastar Media, a company that empowers independent musicians by providing them with technological innovations like immersive experiences, has been in the music industry for about two decades. “I’m older than I look,” he jokes, “My background is in working with record labels and I’ve identified a few gaps in the industry over the years. Despite living in a digital world, artistes—whether dancers, performers, or musicians—still depend heavily on live performances to earn a living. They need to tour rigorously, no matter if they’re sick or exhausted, because that’s when they make most of their money. So we wanted to create alternative sources of income for them.”
Shatadru Sarkar
As one enters the digital verse, it’s almost like walking into a brick-and-mortar space dedicated to Indian Ocean. It is complete with a theatre where one can enjoy exclusive films from the band, a studio that plays their entire discography, an e-commerce store for exclusive merchandise and even a karaoke room.
Indian Ocean has a cult following of dedicated fans across the nation. “From their perspective, we noticed another gap,” says Sarkar, “Social media can be superficial; it doesn’t allow fans to dive deep into an artiste’s legacy or get to know them well. If fans want to engage fully, they have to hop between platforms—watching videos on YouTube, listening to music on streaming services, and shopping on separate e-commerce sites. This scattershot approach spreads fan bases across multiple third-party websites, none of it controlled by the artiste. They don’t own the platforms, the data, or have direct access to their fan base.”
The lounge room offers exclusive content and stories from each of the band members
“Post-COVID,” continues Kilam, “we realised we could reach people virtually in ways we hadn’t before. This platform offers a unique space for fans who might not be able to attend concerts in person. While it won’t replace live shows or social media, it offers an intimate experience.”
The process of creating these immersive spaces is highly collaborative, with the artistes playing a crucial role in defining their virtual spaces. Metastar’s team worked closely with Indian Ocean, gathering inputs on their vision and integrating it into a 3D virtual space that reflects their brand. “Indian Ocean has an earthy, grounded vibe, so they wanted an outdoorsy, villa-like feel for their space,” says Sarkar. “We took inspiration from their album covers—if you go to the outdoors section of the space, you’ll see a blue tree, which was part of their last album cover. We also visited their studio in Delhi to capture their aesthetics—artwork, wall colours, and window styles. So it was a mix of creating something new while drawing from their current spaces.” This level of attention to detail creates for fans a world that feels familiar and true to the artiste’s identity.
Sarkar shines some light on future plans: “We’re building community features like a chatbox and a community wall where fans can interact with the band members. The musicians will also start offering tutorials for the Indian Ocean style, which blends Western and Indian influences. Nikhil Rao, the guitarist, will teach fusion guitar, with both pre-recorded and live master classes.” “Initially,” elaborates Kilam, “we’ll release some new videos, merchandise, and live show experiences.” They will be gauging fan engagement to see what resonates.
“This is a new world for us, so we’re learning as we go,” reflects Kilam, “In a few months, we may roll out more content, based on fan response.” A mobile app is in the pipeline, allowing fans to access all the same features from their palms.
Indian Ocean themselves are quite fascinated with the concept. “They’re thrilled!” says Sarkar, “Every artiste we’ve worked with loves it because it’s so new and immersive. They’re not just seeing the end product—they’re deeply involved in building it, giving constant feedback and new ideas. It’s a very collaborative, long-term investment for them.”
The designing process has been an exciting venture. “Unlike a typical third-party setup,” says Sarkar, “where artiste involvement might be minimal, here they’re reaching out at all hours with ideas because they’re so invested in the outcome. It’s something that not only connects them to fans now but can grow into a sustainable model for engagement over the next few years.”
The fan response has also been quite promising. “We did a showcase recently at a concert in Gurgaon,” Sarkar tells us, “where fans could explore the space using VR headsets, which fans really enjoyed.”
Metastar started their journey with Bickram Ghosh, a revered Indian classical tabla player. They’ve also worked with artistes like Purbayan Chatterjee, a sitar maestro who is part of a band called Classicool, whose immersive experience is designed like a spaceship, and even acclaimed Bharatnaytam dancer Priyadarsini Govind, who also offers live tutorials in her immersive experience.
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