Anshul Kaura: I’ve Was Already Successful, Even Back When I Had Just A Few Hundred Followers (Musician, 33.6K Followers)

Anshul Kaura Interview

 Instead of chasing trends or virality right from the beginning, focus on growth, quality, and consistency

Q. You describe yourself very simply as “I make music.” At this stage of your journey, what does making music really mean to you, creation, connection, or community?

Music has always been an integral part of my life. I grew up listening to a wide range of genres created by legendary artists like AR Rahman, Ed Sheeran, Queen, Sonu Nigam, Mohit Chauhan, and many more. These artists have deeply inspired me and shaped the way I perceive and create music. 

For me, music is peace. It’s what makes me feel happy, fulfilled, and truly alive. Creating music gives me a sense of purpose, and it’s something I want to keep doing for the rest of my life. More than anything, it’s always been my dream to make a living through music — not just as a career, but as a way of life.

Q. Most of your growth has happened on Instagram through reels and audience interactions. How has social media changed the traditional idea of a musician’s journey for you?

I’ve always understood how important social media is in a musician’s journey. My own journey began on YouTube, where I brought different musical ideas to life through creativity and experimentation. As my journey evolved, short-form content started emerging, and adapting to it took time. 

Learning how to create gripping hooks, tell a story quickly, and truly engage an audience was a process. Over time, that learning shaped my perspective, sharpened my skills, and refined my creative approach. Today, all of that experience is reflected in who I am as an artist and in how my content looks, feels, and connects with people.

Q. Your 'Singing with Followers' series stands out because it breaks the artist audience wall. What have these collaborations taught you about voices, vulnerability, and trust?

The 'Singing with my Followers” series, which I started a few months ago, was a completely spontaneous idea, and honestly, I wasn’t even sure back then how I’d pull it off. But it ended up teaching me something really important — all you have to do is take the first step, and everything else slowly falls into place. 

Through this series, I’ve also realised just how incredibly talented my followers are. So many people don’t recognise their own potential, and that’s such a loss, which is why I genuinely love giving their voices a platform and helping boost their confidence. Beyond music, the series has taught me a lot about people in general, especially the importance of understanding different perspectives. 

Everyone is excited and eager to see their cover released, and learning to balance that while being mindful of everyone waiting has been a really valuable experience for me. Overall, this series has been a journey full of learning, gratitude, and growth, and I’m truly thankful for it

Q. Your content is consistent, but it doesn’t feel repetitive. How do you balance algorithms with authenticity without burning out creatively?

I usually try to bring something unique and creative even to the simplest ideas — whether it’s a POV-style hook in a cover, a fresh twist in a mashup, or an original composition. I also make a conscious effort to keep my content diverse instead of limiting myself to a single niche, because I want my audience to stay genuinely entertained. 

That diversity allows me to explore everything from raw acoustic covers and pre-recorded performances to mashups, originals, and rewrites, ensuring that my content always feels fresh and exciting. And because I have so many formats to work with, staying consistent never really feels like a burden, it feels natural and enjoyable.

Q. You often cover trending songs in under a minute. Do trends limit artistic expression or can they actually sharpen a musician’s skillset?

Covering five or even ten songs within a short time frame of about a minute is both challenging and incredibly fun for any musician. For a mashup to truly work, every song needs to blend seamlessly, to the point where it feels like a single cohesive piece rather than a collection of different tracks. 

I genuinely love creating mashups because they push me creatively and constantly challenge me to think differently. In fact, the process inspires me to create powerful, original songs that could one day be part of someone else’s mashup. So I don’t feel that mashups limit creativity at all — if anything, they amplify it even further.

Q. In an era of heavy visual aesthetics, your content remains relatively minimal and sound-focused. Was that a conscious decision to let music lead?

Yes, it has always been a conscious decision for me to let my music and my voice take center stage in my videos. At the same time, I don’t ignore the visual aspect either, because that’s the very first thing the viewer experiences. I make sure the videos are engaging and visually appealing enough to draw people in, while keeping the audio as the main driving force. 

In my opinion, visuals help hook the audience, but it’s the music that truly does the heavy lifting. That’s why my goal is always to keep both the video and the audio of my reels at the highest possible standard, so that when I look back at them in the future, I can do so without any regrets at all.

Q. What’s one thing about being an independent musician on social media that looks easy from the outside but is actually very demanding?

I feel that consistency and coming up with creative ideas, along with their execution, are things that may look easy from the outside, but are actually far from it. Because I upload creative reels every day, people often assume it’s a simple process. 

But in reality, it takes a lot of time, ideation, and brainstorming to develop strong concepts, and an equal amount of effort and patience to execute them well. That behind-the-scenes process is something I’ve come to truly respect and value as part of my journey.

Q. With growing followers and reach, how do you personally define success, numbers, impact, or artistic growth?

According to me, I’ve already been successful, even back when I had just a few hundred followers and minimal reach. And you might wonder how. For me, success has never been just about numbers or material gains; it’s something much deeper. I truly believe I became a successful musician the moment I decided to make music my life and commit to growing at it every single day. 

When I started out, my goal was simply to create music that sounded professional, the kind of music I personally loved listening to. Over time, when my originals, covers, and reels began sounding polished and studio-quality, I gained a deep sense of self-respect and fulfillment. 

The fact that I create all my music in GarageBand, a tool many people consider “rookie”, and still make it sound professional feels like a huge achievement to me. All of this defines success for me, far beyond just numbers. That said, the numbers I’ve earned along the way do mean a lot, because they’ve finally allowed me to make a living through my music — and that, too, is something I’m deeply grateful for.

Q. Your highlights hint at influences ranging from indie to Coldplay-esque emotion. Which artist has subconsciously shaped your musical instincts the most?

An artist who has always deeply inspired me and my music is Ed Sheeran. When I was starting out, he was the artist I looked up to the most and drew constant inspiration from. Alongside him, legends like Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Queen, A. R. Rahman, Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, and Arijit Singh have inspired me just as strongly and continue to influence my musical choices and creations. 

Their music has always given me a sense of comfort, relief, and purpose, and I truly hope that one day I can create music that resonates with people the way theirs has resonated with me.

Q. How important is routine and discipline in your creative life especially when inspiration doesn’t show up on time?

Routine is one of the most important and integral parts of my life. Having a structure centered around my music and content, and consistently sticking to it, helps me immensely. In fact, discipline becomes even more crucial on days when I feel creatively drained or short on ideas. 

I’ve realised that simply showing up and sitting down to work often puts my mind into the right zone, making it naturally more receptive to new creative thoughts. That’s why I deeply value my routine and make a conscious effort to stick to it even on my lowest days.

Q. Advice for creators For young musicians scrolling through your reels, what’s one skill they should focus on building before chasing virality?

One piece of advice I’d give to musicians who are just starting out is simple: just start. Take that first step. Instead of chasing trends or virality right from the beginning, focus on growth, quality, and consistency.Pick one core skill, whether it’s an instrument or your vocals, and build a routine around improving it. 

For example, if you play the guitar, practice it every single day, dedicate a fixed time slot to it, and stay committed. In the same way, include regular vocal training in your routine to keep your voice healthy and well-trained. I truly believe that once you become confident and skilled at what you do, that’s when it makes sense to start exploring trends and virality. And above all, patience is a virtue every creator needs, because meaningful growth takes time.

Q. Do you see yourself remaining a digital-native artist, or is there a long-term vision beyond social media albums, live tours, or something unexpected?

This digital virality is just the beginning for me. I’ve always been an optimistic, almost unrealistically hopeful person, some may call it delusional or crazy, but that very mindset is what has brought me here today. I truly believe that a certain level of craziness is essential to dream big and push beyond limits. 

My ultimate goal is to create all kinds of music, travel the world performing those songs, and live a life driven by music. I see myself on massive stages, delivering high-energy performances and world-class entertainment, and I’m fully confident that with consistency, belief, and hard work, I’m going to achieve all of it very soon.

Q. If Instagram disappeared tomorrow, what’s the first thing you’d do with your music and where would you take it?

That’s actually a really interesting question, and it’s something I’ve thought about myself, what would I do if Instagram disappeared tomorrow? I think I’d definitely feel sad and dejected at first, just like millions of other creators, because it has played a big role in my journey. But at the same time, Instagram isn’t the only place where my music lives. 

My journey actually began on YouTube, where I continue to share my work and where I’m fortunate to have an even larger audience today, which I’m truly grateful for. So regardless of what happens to Instagram, I’ll keep putting my music out there on YouTube and other platforms, because at the end of the day, I’m confident that good content has the potential to connect and go viral anywhere.

Bio:

Anshul Kaura is a 24 years old, and is based in Chandigarh, India. She is a musician driven by a deep passion and love for music, and creating it has been an integral part of her life for as long as she can remember. From singing and composing to experimenting with different sounds and ideas, music is not just something she does - it’s who she is. She's constantly working towards growing as an artist, connecting with people through her work, and building a life where music is at the center of everything she does.

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Interviewed by: Nidhi