IPRS: Empowering Artists with Missionary Zeal
The IPRS has been putting in consistent efforts to empower and support its members. As its ongoing forays to help music creators achieve their goals through an insightful knowledge are efforts to help them deduce how the music business works at an everyday level.
Continuing the initiative, the IPRS recently held two workshops for its members in its newly introduced knowledge series titled “Learn and Earn”. The cities of Chennai (4th May), Hyderabad (6th May) and Kolkata (7th June) were the first three venues for what would be a Pan India Round-The-Year knowledge workshop. The other locations in the first phase include Ludhiana, Delhi, and Mumbai.
Specifically set up for creating awareness among the members about their rights, the role of CMOs like IPRS, and the latest technology and trends shaping careers in music, the workshops turned out to be one of the most enriching experiences for nearly 800 attendees. These sessions aim to up skill and address every minute query of the IPRS members across a broad spectrum of topics.
The workshop, tailored to set right the practical issues confronting the members, were broadly classified into five main areas.
Topic 1: Copyright in Music
- Rights related to Sound Recording & Underlying Works
- Public Performance in Music and adjoining rights
- Need for a Copyright Society
Topic 2: IPRS and how it works?
- Why a songwriter, composer or publisher of music needs to be a member of a
- Copyright Society?
- Metadata and its relevance
- What are the current sources of revenue
- Distribution / Royalty Payout and the analogy behind it
- The benefits and best practices as a member
- The prevailing challenges as a copyright society and the way forward
Topic3: THE EVOLUTION OF MUSIC – an insightful session by Dolby India
- History of Music
- How sound/Music has changed over the years
Topic4: An overview of the Member Portal
- Introducing the features and functionalities of the Member Portal.
- What’s in there for the member
- Why is it important for our members to access the portal on a regular basis. The session has been designed to familiarise our members with the functioning of the portal and to explain how to navigate and explore the different features available.
Topic5: YouTube – A world of new learnings
Mr. Atul Churamani joined Mr. Mayur Puri, for an insightful conversation on the different aspects of the video platform from a music creator and publisher’s lens respectively.
Though YouTube is one of the most popular video platforms extensively explored by artists, music makers, and publishers, it leaves room for many queries regarding its functionality and best practices. The session was an attempt to understand the YouTube platform from a creator’s perspective and about the benefits accruing from it.
It was also a matter of great fulfilment for the members that they could, throughout the workshop, interact with leading Music Composers, Song Writers, and Publishers from both the Tamil and the Telugu industries apart from stalwarts of the IPRS. The experience is going to stand them in good stead over the coming years and go a long way in protecting them against unfair treatment and exploitation- a bane of the community.
We can aver that the workshop turned out to be one of the most fulfilling experiences, and we are overtly happy to receive words of appreciation and encouraging comments from our revered members from all the regions.
Vairamuthu Ramasamy
I take this opportunity to thank the entire team of IPRS, for this great initiative of ‘Learn and Earn’. IPRS is an Akshaya Pathram – meaning inexhaustible vessel for artists with the intention to educate them. Music makers , creators, authors, composers are creative people who dream big without being aware of the Indian law. They are also ignorant of the basic rights they possess. However, IPRS acts as our legal body and fights for the royalty of uninformed artists. They also take up the responsibility to educate artists about various jargons such as royalty, intellectual property, etc,. I extend my gratitude to the entire IPRS team for their immense effort to assist many families that were hit hardest during the pandemic.”
M.M. Keeravaani
The “Learn and Earn” initiative by IPRS is an excellent move to empower all music creators with knowledge and information. It is very important for all artists to know their basic rights. Ignorance often deprives many of their due credits and rightful dues. IPRS as a copyright society has been supporting its members with regular royalties, and I’m happy to see this initiative now being taken to educate and upskill.
Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS
While the industry is growing, it is equally important that songwriters and composers, are well aware of their rights. With this initiative, we aim to drive awareness of music copyright and licensing while helping our members to upskill through knowledge and know-how. At IPRS, our primary focus will be to create more opportunities for our members and pave the path towards a strong ecosystem that will help our members and the Indian music industry.
The Financial Year 21-22 has been watershed in the history of the IPRS with its earnings, recording a growth of around 85% from INR 169.8 crores in FY 20-21 to INR 310+ crores in FY 21-22. Streaming/OTT platforms have been the major contributors to the total income of FY 21-22.
Gopala Krishna Paruchuri
When you are part of a Society like IPRS, you get support, value, guidance and the rightful dues for your creation. That’s the role of IPRS. I would personally request all creators who have still not joined the society, to do so and get the full benefit from the society in terms of royalty and other value -added support.
K. S. Chandrabose
We should value the creators and realize that they thoroughly deserve to receive royalties for their works. IPRS as a copyright society supports and ensures the same. IPRS supports its members during crisis – like health issues and economic slowdown as seen during the pandemic. Few of our members were also paid their hospitalization bills apart from royalties. The entire IPRS Society is like a family and friend for the creator world, and ever ready to extend their support to them.
Rabindra Prasad Pattnaik
IPRS as a Copyright Society represents the authors, composers and publishers of music. Every film has songs, and behind the songs are the creators and publishers. Whenever the songs are used/played at commercial venues, the creators have the right to fight and demand for his/her royalties. In India IPRS has been authorized to collect the same on their behalf. Friends, I would request all of those using music for commercial purpose to support the creators by paying the required license fees to IPRS.
Anupam Roy
Musicians associated with the Music industry in India are oblivious of the benefits and role of a copyright society and the rights assigned by the Copyright Law. Ignorance is not an excuse anymore, and I’m glad that IPRS is organising knowledge workshops for its members to upskill and excel.
The Learn and Earn workshop achieved many tangible results some of which include
- Made the IPRS members cognizant of their rights
- Gave them an opportunity to upskill and update regarding new technology and trendss
- Helped them understand the role of copyright societies like IPRS better
- Offered them an opportunity to network with veterans and experts from the music industry.
- Created a forum for peer to peer interaction and help boost a community of music creators and publishers
- Get answers to queries from experts and IPRS officials
P.S Members are requested to keep track of the IPRS and its various such “Learn and Earn” workshops for long term career benefit
