There are plenty of people like you out there who are passionate about music and have thought of getting into the music business at least once in their lifetime. But while many have backed out because it does not look like a lucrative career option, the concept of 'music entrepreneurship'
is slowly gaining ground in India. Various people in the music industry discuss the challenges of this business
Becoming a music entrepreneur does not mean that you need to be an artist only. The domain comprises producers, composers, songwriters, internet marketers and more. With some contacts, a home studio and a personal website, you have taken your first step into the music business. Setting up a studio also gives you plenty of time to experiment with your work and be creative. However, in a market where there are hundreds of other talented people like you, making your mark becomes the ultimate challenge. This is why it is necessary to understand the business side of it all.
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| Nitin Malik, Parikrama | Parikrama performs |
There are plenty of schools that have music entrepreneurship programs outside India, but as of now, there are no schools that give such training in the country. Nitin Malik, lead vocalist, Parikrama feels that it is necessary to start such courses as it would help several startups in getting their concepts clear and hence make successful music careers. "Ninety-nine percent of the artists do not know what they are getting into. An upcoming band, not only has to work on PR, but should also be aware of their rights as musicians. A music entrepreneurship program can help a lot of people. There are plenty of schools all over Europe, but the concept hasn't picked up yet in Asia." Some of the schools and universities that provide such courses are Berklee College of Music, Manhattan School of Music, The Eastman School of Music, University of Colorado and University of South Carolina.
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| Bangalore-based band, Illuminati | Venkatesh Nayak fondly known as 'Venky' |
Training or knowledge?
The debate on whether someone needs a formal degree in music education to get the competitive edge is also another thing to consider. Arpan Peter, who was a part of organizing international heavy metal band, Lamb of God's performance in Bangalore, says practical knowledge is what will help anyone in this business. He also adds that a music entrepreneur in the Bollywood industry is likely to be more successful than those entrepreneurs who are in or are dealing with independent bands. "It is difficult to convince people in case of independent labels. If you were to promote a death metal band, they would discard it as noisy music. It is the mindset that does not change. Even five to ten years down the line, I cannot really speak for independent music makers."
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| Venkatesh Nayak, lead vocalist, Illuminati |
Changing times
However, Gaurav Vaz, bassist from The Raghu Dixit Project, says there is plenty of scope for the music entrepreneur today. "The recording industry in India is in a state of flux now, no one can say what will happen. But there has been a boom in the live music industry since the past few years. Five years ago, there was no such thing as live music. We were restricted to college fests and corporate events." Now, there are plenty of places to showcase music all over the country like Hardrock Cafes, Kyra in Bangalore, High Spirits in Kolkata, Curve in Pune etc. This opens up many opportunities for artist managers, booking agents, and also gets you in touch with music entrepreneurs who are interested in starting up production. "The whole culture of attending live music shows is opening up in India. It's something like going to the movies! Previously music was more Bollywood-centric. A lot of bands have come up in the recent years," he adds. Although he agrees it is necessary to educate people on music entrepreneurship he adds, "There is no formula to it. A music entrepreneurship program can only teach you up to a certain extent and not go beyond that. How do you justify the price of a performance?"
Power of the Internet
Venkatesh Nayak, lead vocalist, of Bangalore-based band Illuminati, has been looking forward to study music abroad. He says the programs are very expensive and there is no such scope here. "If you are clever enough, you can start your website and use social networking sites as much as possible. And nowadays, who pays for music? Nobody! The Internet has made everything easy and difficult at the same time. But that is okay, it has so much reach, so that way more people come for your show and you get more gigs!" he exudes. He also adds that record labels need to shrug their capitalist attitude and recognize the talent of various independent bands that are coming up every day. "Once the concept of Indie labels is absorbed, it is going to be insane," he says.
As of now the biggest challenge to the music business is piracy. "It is the people's mindset here. They don't realize that by downloading their favorite artists' album they are hampering his sales. It is not like abroad, where a fan would buy the original music," says Nitin. This is what makes incorporation of such a course necessary in schools and colleges. Now the music industry basically runs via word-of-mouth, more and more music entrepreneurs with a formal course who are well-versed in the ethics of the business can bring about a significant change in how the industry runs today.
"I think that in the next five years, the music business is going to be a really exciting place. It is in a nascent stage right now. Right now, I would say our competitors are movies! We need to be as compelling,"
says Gaurav.
Shradha Mohanty
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written by omega watches, November 24, 2010
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