Ilaiyaraaja’s remark helps musicians get remuneration for their work legally

At such a time, it has become imperative for youngsters in the field to understand the basics behind how creative works are protected by copyright law, and what rights they might have as content creators and owners.

Now, music and performance platform On That Note and Iloveread have teamed up to start a project, that will educate musicians to not just protect their work from unauthorised exploitation but also monetise it.

“As a music platform, we noticed that when bands performed cover songs or when singers post YouTube videos of popular artists’ tracks, they are completely unaware of how copyright works. Similarly, when independent music is produced as well, there needs to be knowledge on how to legally protect it. All these facets are overlooked, and it’s important that those in the industry take note now,” says Gaurav Khemka, who is a business student and the co-founder of On That Note.

Advocate Amritha Sathyajith will also join him in hosting a workshop on the topic on December 22 as part of a larger festival that comprises live music, a social media marketing workshop for musicians, a documentary screening and discussion, as well as a jam session.

In light of someone as renowned as Ilaiyaraaja shedding light on the issue, the topic has become relevant for playback singers and film composers as well. Gaurav says, “The singer, the lyricist-songwriter, the production house... there are so many people involved in the making of a song. TV channels then have to play royalty accordingly. We want to equip everyone with the necessary tools to be able to monetise their work legally.”