IPRS Newsmailer

Dear IPRS Member,

India has 2% of the total landmass of our entire planet and 50% of all active COVID-19 cases, as I write this. Let that sink in.

There is no denying that this is the biggest crisis we have ever faced. People are popping off like flies on a peak summer day. Everyone I know personally has lost someone.From our community we have lost quite a few members including luminaries like Shravan Rathore (of Nadeem-Shravan), Wajidbhai (of Sajid-Wajid), S.P. Balasubramaniam, Yogesh Gaur, Anwar Sagar, Rahat Indori, Vijay Patiland VanrajBhatiya Sir. All of them will be missed dearly and their music will live on.A link to our tribute session on Vanraj sir is given in a summary piece within this newsletter.

Dear Members and Friends,

“That which we are, we are;
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

During the London Olympics, these words from Tennyson’s Ulysses found a place as an inscription in the center of the Olympics village, to inspire athletes and Londoners, alike. The significance of these lines dawns on me heavily today as the country faces unprecedented uncertainty while we grapple to hold on to a sense of semblance and hope.


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The music industry was still coming to grips with the unprecedented losses due to the pandemic over the last year. Not just the music industry but also the events and entertainment world have gone for a toss. The music sector particularly has been hit hard with the loss of revenue for live performances. The en masse postponement and cancellation of live shows, weddings, sporting events and the closure of commercial establishments have put the industry in a quandary.

To support its author and composer members, The Indian Performance Rights Society (IPRS) announced the release of an emergency relief fund, amounting to Rs 2.5 crores.

In a conversation, Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS dwelled on the announcement, cleared the air about eligibility, the near future and the impact the second wave can have on the music industry.

• इक्कीस दिन – इरशाद कामिल


• सन्नाटा – समीर अनजान


• इकट्ठा – कौसर मुनीर


• ग़ज़ल – इरशाद कामिल


• सरहद घर तक – मयूर पूरी

A tribute to Vanraj Bhatia, composer par excellence

The legendary musician and composer of western music, cinema, television, background music, devotional albums, and jingles, Vanraj Bhatia Sahab passed away in Mumbai on 7th May. He was 93 and was suffering from age-related health complications.

The music director made a mark through songs in ShyamBenegal’s films like “Kya Hai TeraGham Bata” in ‘Kalyug’, “Tumhare Bin Jee Na Lage” in ‘Bhumika’, “Mero Gaam Katha Party” in ‘Manthan’. Some of his other known film work include ’36 Chowrighee Lane’, ‘JaaneBhi Do Yaaron’, ‘Hip Hip Hurray’, and the teleserial ‘Tamas’.“Celebrating the Life & Music of a Genius”, a live online session in fond memory of Late Shri Vanraj Bhatia, was hosted by The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (IPRS), Music Composers Association of India (MCAI), and Radioandmusic.com as a humble tribute to the legend on 9th May 2021.

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Dealing with mental health issues positively during the lockdown

These are challenging times for the Indian music industry and especially the artists, composers, lyricists, and musicians. Albums have been put on a delay or indefinite hold. There are limited revenue resources to explore during this pandemic due to which musicians can be more susceptible to depression, addictions, and even suicidal thoughts. The importance of the mental well-being of musiciansneeds to be looked after now, more so than ever.

The main source of revenue generation for most artists are live events and concerts, which are not being organized for the time being.Working from home is not the same as being on the stage or the studio.

On the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day on 26th April 2021, stalwarts from the Indian music industry got together to discuss the changing landscape of music in India and why fair trade of music is critical on a panel named ‘Heading Towards a Healthy Ecosystem in Music in India’ organized by the Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (IPRS), in association with Iprmentlaw and Indiantelevision.com.

The panelists included Rakesh Nigam, CEO, The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd. (IPRS), Atul Churamani, Managing Director, Turnkey Music & Publishing Pvt. Ltd, Tarsame Mittal, Founder, TM, Talent Management, Heena Kriplani, Head, TuneCore India, Raju Singh, Music Director, Aditya Gupta, Director, Aditya Music, and Harsh Kaushik, Counsel, Supreme Court of India. The discussions were moderated by Anushree Rauta, Founder, Iprmentlaw, and Anil Wanvari, Founder and Editor in Chief, Indiantelevision.com group.