Lo-Fi & Fusion Sitar Trends on Social Media: A New Listening Culture

The rapid expansion of social media platforms has significantly transformed the ways in which music is created, circulated, and consumed. Traditional Indian classical instruments, particularly the sitar, are increasingly being re-imagined through lo-fi and fusion musical frameworks on platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, and Spotify. This research paper examines the emergence of lo-fi and fusion sitar trends on social media and analyses how these trends contribute to the formation of a new listening culture. Using qualitative content analysis and secondary literature from peer-reviewed and UGC-CARE listed journals, the study explores audience engagement, aesthetic shifts, and cultural reinterpretation of the sitar in digital spaces. The findings reveal that lo-fi and fusion sitar music promotes accessibility, emotional engagement, and cross-cultural reach, while simultaneously raising concerns regarding authenticity and classical purity. The paper argues that social media has become a transformative cultural space where traditional instruments acquire new meanings, functions, and audiences.