Connecting the dots for music makers by Manojna Yeluri (Artistik License)
The music industry can feel incredibly sexy. Whether you’re an artist or a music business professional, there’s no denying the allure of the creative process behind writing, recording and performing great music. It’s a hustle to make deals, break records and crack crazy deadlines. But the music industry is not all glamour and good vibes. Seasoned music industry folks will be happy to reveal a different truth — that at the core of this enormous industry, lies a profound appreciation for the industry knowledge and relationships cultivated through decades of experience. This is the secret sauce which defines some of the most prolific careers in the music industry; and is precisely what the first edition of Soundmaps embodied — there is no music industry without sharing knowledge and building relationships.
This first edition of Soundmaps, made possible through the Global Music Institute (GMI) and Toto Funds the Arts (TFA), was held in Bengaluru on November 26, 2023 at the Bangalore International Centre. This one-day conclave for musicians and music industry professionals, included a captivating array of workshops, panel discussions, and performances, promising an immersive experience for attendees. Carefully curated for independent artists, emerging talents, inquisitive professionals, and eager students, the day long event moved beyond imparting theoretical knowledge, equipping attendees with practical insights, wisdom and actionable advice from active music industry professionals, empowering them to advance their musical careers.
Into the Artist’s Mind Team
In setting the tone for the day, Soundmaps kickstarted the event with an illuminating workshop on the intricacies of the songwriting process. Guided by the expertise of GMI’s Co-founder and Director, musician Aditya Balani, the workshop featured articulate and distinctive singer-songwriters and performers, namely Bangalore’s very own Aditi Ramesh, Frizzel Dsouza, and Vasu Dixit, all of who shared glimpses into their songwriting methodology, by way of examples of songs they had written, recorded and in some cases, rewritten to reflect their changing influences and technical-knowhow — a powerful reminder that the songwriting process is fluid, dynamic and ever-evolving.
These artists, each with their unique style, represented a diverse range of sub-genres and styles. Whether self-taught or having received a formal education in music composition, every artist emphasized a universal takeaway — that the songwriting process is often, if not always, a deeply personal experience. Whether it’s drawing on profound learnings, interpersonal relationships, or perhaps articulating the mundane (like Aditi’s “Efflux of Time” that captured her daily struggles juggling her emerging musical career and a new season of her life in Bombay), each artist suggested the idea that the songs they wrote, captured a mood or moment.
A profoundly intimate and authentic experience, the “Songwriting Circle” workshop served as a catalyst, creating a warm and inviting space that fostered continuous learning and meaningful dialogue throughout the day.
Unpacking industry insights
Building on the curiosity from the morning’s session, the second half of Soundmaps stirred impactful conversations around various aspects of the music industry and business, through three panel discussions. Curated to highlight the evolving and growing state of the independent music ecosystem in India, these panels comprised experts from a wide range of backgrounds and fields, bringing together perspectives from various stakeholders actively influencing and working in the Indian creative economy today.
Music lawyer, founder of the Lex Talk Music podcast and partner at BTG Legal, Sandhya Surendran expertly navigated the panel on technology and music, highlighting the insights shared by fellow panelists Mansoor Khan (Co-Founder — Beatoven), Nitish Chachra (Musifie / Harmonic Disruption) and Rohan Jain (Co-founder: MADVerse). With an emphasis on the role technological innovation plays in the careers and development of musicians, the panelists debated the pros and cons of current platforms, models, blockchain, AI and more, while providing a snapshot of what the future holds.
Unpacking yet another pivotal topic of discussion — the relationship between visual media and music, Musician, music supervisor and TFA’s Anurag Shanker moderated a vibrant discussion between Harsh Tokas (Co-Founder Dibbl), Malini Hariharan (Independent Music Professional) and Jishnu Dasgupta (moderator) (Artist Manager/Bass Player — Swarathma). With synch licensing and song placements becoming sought after buzzwords in the Indian music scene, this panel discussion served to demystify jargon and reveal the inner workings of the music industry, especially from the perspective of rights ownership, licensing and clearances. Whether it was Jishnu’s authentic sharing of experiences or Malini’s breakdown of copyright in music, all the panelists helped drive home the point that knowledge is power, and a necessary one for musicians to navigate their careers in a way that was both sustainable and creatively meaningful.
Closing out the discussions for the day, was the final panel aptly titled “The Artist’s Toolkit: Building, Branding, and Beyond” which in many ways, attempted to bring the day’s discussions into a cohesive set of actionable items and takeaways. Moderated by me, Manojna Yeluri (music and artist rights lawyer, founder of Artistik License), the panel participants included fellow colleagues from the music industry, Prarthana Sen (Co-founder NeonCulture), Tanish Thakker (Founder — Amplify Incubator) and Anurag Tagat (Music Journalist — Rolling Stone). Drawing on their varied experiences and multiple hats worn in the course of their careers in the music industry, Prarthana, Tanish and Anurag sought to share specific advice on how musicians can promote their work, secure authentic press placements, and leverage their existing networks to build tours and creatively vision their performances. Anurag graciously offered examples of Electronic Press Kits that he had received over the years, highlighting what works as well as showcasing the diversity of what makes a good EPK. Similarly, Tanish and Prarthana drew on their experiences working as programmers and music communities, on how to establish clear and effective communication that was also earnest and professional. As an ultimate takeaway, the panel put together an actual Artist’s Toolkit, which is a living document that continues to be populated by the stakeholders involved.
Intentional networking, Mindful listening
A heavy day of learning through workshops and panels, was followed by a much appreciated break which then led into one-on-one networking made possible through a “Speed jam” that allowed attendees to reserve a brief consultation with many of the music professionals present. And what would an event about the music industry be without actual music — Soundmaps closed the day with dreamy performances by past TOTO Awards recipients including Rudy Mukta and Kamal Singh
It was a hard day’s night…
And Soundmaps, delivered an intimate and authentic experience for networking and fostering meaningful connections among the music industry. Soundmaps served as a significant milestone for TFA which celebrated 20 years of incredible work this year, alongside marking GMI’s first in-person event in Bangalore. With the promise of more, Soundmaps laid the groundwork for a more robust and dynamic future for music professionals in the country — a collaborative approach that stresses the need for more shared resources and connections, as we continue to build what is most definitely a thriving music ecosystem in India.