The Best Indian Indie Albums of 2024

2024 was the year Indian independent music stopped sounding like one scene. A Kashmiri singer made a fourteen-track album that moved between Kashmiri, Urdu and Hindi. A Jaipur rock band put out a record about demons, rivers and storms. A Malayalam rapper put out a nine-track album in his own voice, and a Bengaluru heavy-metal band sounded as hungry as it did decades ago. This is our pick of the best Indian indie albums of 2024: full records and a few EPs that were released that year and that you can still play from start to finish.

How we chose. Released in 2024, by Indian independent or independent-minded artists, and available on Apple Music India. Every release date and track count below was checked against Apple Music India on 28 October 2026. We list them in release order, not ranked. If you want what came next, see the best Indian indie albums of 2025 and 2026 so far.

The albums

Dualist Inquiry – When We Get There (16 February 2024, 9 tracks). Sahej Bakshi's project returned with a nine-track album on his own Dualism imprint, built from melodic electronic tracks such as the title song, "Coming Alive" and "All There Is". It is the most hopeful electronic record on this list. Start with: "When We Get There". More in the best Indian electronic albums.

Dabzee – 10 Gully (20 February 2024, 9 tracks). Malayalam rap with a voice nobody else has: nasal, playful and hard to forget. Nine tracks, including "Malabari" and "Manushyan". Dabzee.

Anoushka Shankar – Chapter II: How Dark It Is Before Dawn (5 April 2024, 6 tracks). The middle part of Shankar's three-chapter series. Six quiet, slow-moving pieces for sitar and small ensemble, from "Pacifica" to "New Dawn". Best heard late at night. Anoushka Shankar.

Mitraz – Neendein (12 April 2024, 9 tracks). Soft, sleepy Hindi pop songs that found a huge young audience. The title track opens it and "Sui Dhaage" is the one people return to. Mitraz.

Faheem Abdullah – Lost;Found (25 May 2024, 14 tracks). The biggest statement on this list. Fourteen songs moving between Kashmiri, Urdu and Hindi, with titles like "Sajde", "Waavo", "Khodayas Hawaal" and "Kashmir". It carries ghazal phrasing into indie pop without losing either. Start with: "Sajde". Faheem Abdullah.

Kryptos – Decimator (5 July 2024, 9 tracks). Bengaluru's heavy-metal veterans keep the 1980s spirit alive: twin guitars, big choruses, no apology. Kryptos; more in the best Indian metal albums.

Raghu Dixit – Shakkar (6 July 2024, 8 tracks). Folk-rock in Kannada, Hindi and Bengali from one of the scene's great live performers. "Shakkarpari" opens, "Kudilikke Hatthidyanna" keeps the Kannada folk roots in view. Raghu Dixit.

Lil Payyan – VESANAM! (26 July 2024, 8 tracks). A short, sharp rap record running from "NIYYATH (Intro)" to "DUAA!". Eight tracks, no filler. Lil Payyan.

Seedhe Maut – SHAKTI (15 August 2024, 4-track EP). Four tracks, including "Soyi Nahi", from the Delhi duo. Short, but a key part of their catalogue. Seedhe Maut; Seedhe Maut songs.

Prabh Deep – DSP (9 September 2024, 9 tracks). Prabh Deep's 2024 album, with guests including Faris Shafi on "Ustaadi" and Dhanji on "O.T.M". Prabh Deep; Prabh Deep songs.

The Lost Symbols – Taysa (25 October 2024, 8 tracks). The Jaipur band's fourth album on Apple Music India, a year after Farogh (after The Diary and Gharq). Hindi rock with mythic titles: "Shaitan", "Dev Aur Rakshas", "Toofano Ka Geet". The Lost Symbols.

Navjot Ahuja – Sukoon (25 November 2024, 7 tracks). A gentle seven-track record, including "Tum Jaana Chaho". It is the kind of album that rewards headphones. Navjot Ahuja.

The best EPs of 2024

• Garvit–Priyansh – Lafz (9 April 2024, 4 tracks). Acoustic Hindi songs, including "Jiya Mera" and "Baaton Hi Baaton". Garvit–Priyansh.
• Naezy – Anti Fitna (22 April 2024, 4 tracks). The Gully rapper's 2024 EP. Naezy.
• Vardaan Malhotra – Putla (8 May 2024, 4 tracks). Vardaan Malhotra.
• Fallen Letters – Forlorn Pages (17 May 2024, 6 tracks). Metalcore from Fallen Letters.
• When Chai Met Toast – Nature Tapes, Vol. 1 (31 May 2024, 5 tracks). Stripped versions of "When We Feel Young", "Khoj" and "Kahaani". When Chai Met Toast.
• Nucleya – Chamkillah (12 July 2024, 5 tracks). Bass music with "Jogi", "KAMLI" and "Khoye Panchi". Nucleya.
• Osho Jain – Uff (10 October 2024, 5 tracks). Osho Jain.

For more short records, see the best Indian indie EPs of the 2020s.

What 2024 told us

Three things stand out. First, language. The strongest records were not in English or standard film Hindi: Kashmiri on Lost;Found, Malayalam on 10 Gully, Kannada on Shakkar. Second, the album came back. Plenty of artists still released only singles, but Lost;Found at fourteen tracks and DSP at nine showed that listeners would still sit with a full record. Third, the rock and metal scene kept going without needing the mainstream: Decimator and Taysa came out with little national coverage and are better than many better-promoted records.

Common questions

What was the best Indian indie album of 2024? Our pick is Faheem Abdullah's Lost;Found: fourteen songs, three languages, and a voice that carries all of them.

Which 2024 Indian hip-hop albums matter? DSP, 10 Gully, VESANAM! and Seedhe Maut's SHAKTI EP. For the all-time list, see the best Indian hip-hop albums.

Why isn't Bloodywood's Nu Delhi here? The single "Nu Delhi" came out in October 2024, but Apple Music India dates the full album to 21 March 2025, so it belongs in our 2025 coverage.

Where can I find more? Our guides to Indian indie songs and the best Indian indie albums of the 2010s.