Arpit Bala blasts “underground” artists over ticket sales, payment, and label dependency

Musician-YouTuber Arpit Bala, in a recent Dostcast podcast appearance, criticized certain “underground” artists for allegedly leveraging his name to sell show tickets and then disrespecting him when payments are due.

He described a pattern: collaborative invites, requests to promote shows, and promises of a short performance slot and a fee—followed by strong sales largely driven by his audience engagement.

According to Bala, when settlements are due, he’s sometimes sidelined, with money allegedly rerouted to the host artist’s friend.

Bala also broadened his critique to the wider scene, arguing many artists are overly reliant on labels and a manufactured ecosystem, while dismissing content creators whose names often drive ticket conversions.