An indie musicians learnings along the way.
I am a musician,guitarist,engineer,traveller and entrepreneur.
Since I switched careers (IT engg-->Music), the whole journey as a musician
has been a great learning experience for me.This blog is
about my learnings and experiences on this journey that hopefully will help a lot of other musicians like me out there to learn about
the way things work in the music industry.
After I got nominated for the Global Indian Music Awards(GIMA) awards in 2014 (Best Music Debut & Best Pop Album http://www.gima.co.in/oty-non-film-music-nominees.php?y=2014) I had a lot of indie musicians ask me how I submitted my music for GIMA, information about the deadlines etc.
I thought I'd write a blog post about the same so that more indie musicians can submit their music for consideration.
Read on..
"Why should I submit to GIMA? I'm really about the music and not the awards"
Clinton Cerejo's band performing at the awards
The reason you should submit your best work for GIMA, irrespective of whether you win an award or not is because of the stellar jury that will listen to it. The Jury comprises of some of the stalwarts of the music industry including established music directors like Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy & Leslie Lewis, classical musicians like Taufiq Quereshi, Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt , Hariharan and lyricists Javed Akhtar and Prasoon Joshi ( two of my favourites from the industry). To some, the award is a validation of their work, to some it is not..but to all musicians , this is a great opportunity to get your music critiqued and more importantly heard by the best in the industry. You never know what opportunities might stem from there. Give it a shot I say!
Ranveer Singh hosting the awards
"But I thought GIMA was all about Bollywood music"
What a lot of indie musicians are not aware of is that the GIMA awards exist for both Film and Non-Film Categories of music. Sadly, due to the strong Bollywood influence in India, the non-film categories are not given as much importance on television as a result of which many people still assume that the GIMAs are about Bollywood. As an indie musician you can submit your music in the Non-film category for consideration. What are the deadlines?
The deadlines to submit your music change every year so keep an eye open on the GIMA website for http://www.gima.co.in/
What are the steps I need to take to submit my music to GIMA?
A star-studded night..the Indian equivalent of the Grammies
Log onto the GIMA website www.gima.co.in and click on the 'Apply Here' link on the homepage.
You will be prompted to register and enter your details. The userid and password will be sent to you on your e-mail id.
Login to the GIMA page with the username and the password received in your e-mail.
Select Non-Film music category and select the categories ( one or multiple) you would like to nominate yourself for.
Once you are satisfied with your entries, proceed to submit the form. A page will be displayed with the categories you have nominated yourself for alongwith the entry fee per category.This year the fee is Rs. 600/- per category for Non-film music.
On submittion of the online form, you will receive a confirmation email from GIMA with details of what needs to be submitted to them to confirm your entry. Here's a summary of what you need to put together for your entry:
Print out of the completed Declaration Form ( The link to the form will be sent to your e-mail ID)
2 CD's to be submitted per category ( Yes! You read that right). So 4 CD's in all if you submit for 2 categories, 6 CD's for 3 categories..etc
CDs/DVDs/Pendrive with video for Best Music Video Category – Non-Film
Entry Fees via DD/Cheque in favour of ‘Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.’ Or Entry Fees via NEFT( bank details are specified in e-mail)
In the case of digital releases, entrants must submit a proof of release - official letter stamped by the digital platform owner OR a print-out in case the release is on social media websites. Also, if you don't hold the IPR for your music you need to get an NOC from the holders of the intellectual property rights of music.
Labelled CD's for submittion in 2 categories
Completed Declaration Form
You can either submit your entries in the Wizcraft office in Mumbai in Andheri personally or post them the material. You will receive a confirmation call from them once your entry has been validated successfully.
Nominations are announced in a month or so from submission and the awards are generally towards the beginning of the year. This year (2016) it will most likely be in March.
Now go submit your music... more power to you!:) All the best .
P.s. If you like this article I would really love for you to share it and subscribe to the blog for other informative posts. Lets all help and educate one another and build the indie scene in India together:)
In mid 2007, my work with an I.T. firm took me to the city of
Seattle, USA.This is a city that has been home to some of the greatest music
acts the world has ever known. From bands like Nirvana that introduced the
world to grunge music to alternative acts like Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and more
recently Macklemore
& Ryan Lewis—Seattle is a city that has inspired
many a musician. Here I was, a fledgling singer, wide-eyed and excited,
scouring the city for my next musical inspiration. I had chosen to live in the
city and not in the suburbs like most of my other Indian co-workers, because I
felt the city was more alive… with street performers at every corner, a buzzing nightlife
and vibrant markets.
One evening as I was walking home after work, I noticed an
old man sitting by himself. Bright balloons and a teddy bear, surrounded him
and he held a cardboard sign. I squinted and read the colourful letters
aloud“Free Hugs.” ‘Free Hugs’? How does that work? Intrigued, I
went up to the old man and initiated a conversation.
“Hi there! What’s
‘Free Hugs’? What are you doing this for?” I asked.
“ Hello young lady!
I give free hugs to
whoever wants one. I’m just an old man who wants to spread
a little love and sunshine inthis world. The world is a dark
place, it needs more people that care… I come here everyday at this time.”
“That’s
such a beautiful thing to do! How long have you been doing this?”
“Oh for many years now! After my
children left, I’ve led a lonely life. I know there
are a lot of other lonely people in the world as well who could use a hug.
Sometimes people have had a bad day and there’s
no one to go to. It’s the least I can do to help people
break the walls that surround them and reach out to one another.”
“And you don’t
get paid for this I guess?”
“Only in smiles,” he said with a toothy grin.
With a smile, I extended my arms out for a hug. It was a
nice, warm friendly hug in the middle of a crowded street. I felt pure joy at being
a part of this simple act of kindness from a stranger. In this world where money
and time are a priority, here was someone whose
only agenda was to spread sunshine.
There was a Starbucks nearby and I hopped over to buy both of
us a coffee. The least I could do on that cold day was warm the hands of the
man who had spent most of his life warming so
many hearts.
I
was so inspired by this man and his story, that I wrote a blues song, “Free Hugs” that made it to my debut
album. Here’s what it went like…
The story didn’t end there. On returning to India a
year later, some
friends and Iorganised a Free Hugs campaign in Pune,
the city I lived in at that point. This was post the Mumbai terror attacks and it
was our way of passing forward the message of love and hope.
It’s been over 5 years since I met the
old man from Seattle and yet, every time I sing my song “Free Hugs” on stage, I see his face with that toothy grin, holding the
old cardboard sign endearingly asking, “ A free hug for you today sir?”
**Note: Article first written for and published by Happy Tripping ( I am a guest writer with them). Read the article on the Happy tripping website here
What do you do when you're home alone with a take-out container before the Manchester United Liverpool match? Make a song of course! ;)
This is a tribute song to my favourite football team Manchester United and all the Manchester United fans across the world. Don't miss the bloopers at the end of the video;)
I re-wrote my own lyrics to Anna Kendrick's "The Cup song" as a tribute to my favourite team.
Sing along with the lyrics below:
We've got our ticket for the top of the league,
Chelsea can be on their way,
We've got a super team & we've got Van Haal's dream,
We're gonna get him his first trophy what'd you say
Chorus: We're going strong, we're going strong,
The whole world is cheering on,
We've got Adnan doing his best,
Persie , Rooney and the rest,
Hey!I can't name you all in this song
We got the devil and an Angel by our side,
He's the best buy of the season,
We beat the Spurs 3-0, we're celebrating our heros,
Soon the cup will be another reason..
We're going strong, we're going strong,
The whole world is cheering on,
We've got Mata doing his best,
Persie , Rooney and the rest,
Hey!I can't name you all in this song
We're going strong, we're going strong,
The whole world is cheering on,
We've got Falcao doing his best,
Persie , Rooney and the rest,
There ain't much that can go wrong..
Enjoy the song and do post your comments on what you think of it.Cheerio!
Welcome to the generation of the
D-I-Y Indie musician, where the person you can depend on the most for getting
anything done is yourself. Here are some pointers for an amazing gig with happy
audiences , happy venues and a satisfied bandJ
1.Get a
Packed house
One thing every venue will love you for is your
ability to bring in a crowd. If it’s your first gig at a new venue this is an
important deciding factor for booking your next gig.
Here are some things you(& the venue)
must do prior to the gig:
oFacebook
Event: Create a facebook event at least 2 weeks prior to the gig and invite
everyone on your list. Post 3 reminders as your status at intervals prior to
the gig date. This ensures that people who have missed it the first time see
it. Urge your friends & fans to share the event as much as they can.
oPhone
Calls: Personally call your close friends, relatives, die-hard fans,anyone
who you would like to invite for the gig. Never underestimate the power of a personalized
phone-call. It’s way more effective than facebook and e-mail.
oE-mail : People
might not always follow facebook updates. An e-mail is a sure fire way to get
the message across to them. Make sure the subject has all the gig details, as not
everyone might open the e-mail and go through all the contents.
oPress: Get
the venue to do a press release or contact the press yourself with dets about
the show.
After the show, make sure to thank
all the people who came for the gig personally.
2.Give the Audience
what they Want
Although some bands are opposed to the
idea, initially it’s best to have a mix
of originals & covers in your set list. When the crowd doesn’t know you and
they hear something familiar it helps them to build a connection with the band.
Your band can always do your own take on the songs and make it sound different
from the original. While selecting songs, gauge the venue, the event and the
target audience that you’re expecting for the gig.
Sense the mood of the crowd and play your set
accordingly. If the audience is looking
disengaged you might want to play one of the faster songs in your set to get
their attention or of of your numbers they’re more familiar with.
3. Engage
the Audience
Face it ..there’s a little part of everyone
that want to be up on the stage singing to a crowd and receiving applause. Why
do you think karaoke nights are always such a hit? Teach the audience a section of the song and
make them sing along or clap along. It makes them feel like a more integral
part of the experience. Needless to say this always gets the band a huge round
of applause after.
4. Have
Band merchandise/CD’s Available
Give your fans a reason to remember you after
the gig. If you have CD’s ,T-shirts or other merchandise ,make sure you or a
friend set up an area near the stage to sell them after the gig. Also make
announcements about the same during the gig. Something that I often do after
gigs is walk around with a box of my CD’s and ask people if they would like to
get one. It also helps you talk to your audience post the gig and make it a
more personal experience for them. I sold 2 boxes of CD’s at a festival gig and
got a bunch of new FB fans after I went around post the gig with my boxes of
Cd’s. I’ve even seen big artists do this at gigs with their own CD’s.
5. Announce where people can check you out online
There was this band that played
at a hip joint in Delhi and after the set “Thank you folks” was all they said
and left the stage.Now when people like your music they want to hear more of
you..but you have left them with absolutely no indication of where they can
find you.
Make sure that you announce the
band name clearly at the beginning and at end of the show & where the
audience can find your music on the web (Website/facebook page/mailing list). You
could even get your friend to hand out slips of paper to the audience with band
info that would help them remember where
to find you guys online post the gig.
That been said, remember there is no excuse
for not practicing before a gig. Practice comes first and the all the rest
comes second.
Now go kick some ass!
About the author: Pragnya Wakhlu is a
singer-songwriter from Delhi & the front woman of the folk-rock band “Soul Strings”, international all women’s
band “White Lilies” and her own band “Pragnya Wakhlu Collective”. She has performed
over 250 shows across India and the US. She released her debut album “Journey
To the Sun” in 2012 in collaboration with artists across India. (Get it at
musicfellas :http://www.oklisten.com/pragnyawakhlu )
When I was trying to get a censor
certificate for my music video, I found that there was nobody( including the channels) who knew the actual
process on how to get a censor certificate.Most people would find an
agent;pay him 5X times the cash that you actually need to pay and get it
done.For a musician that's quite a bit of money.So I went on a mission to get
the censor certificate all by myself; called the Delhi censor board and figured
out the way it's done..Mission accomplished!!:) I now have my censor
certificate and Vh1 is airing my video in August 2012.
I felt this post
would help other musicians/bands who are also trying to get one.It's not all
that tough as it's made out to be..Read on..
The Censor Certificate for my music video "Rise"
Watch the Video "Rise" above
Checklist of items you need before you apply for a
censor certificate
1.Create a version of your video with a ‘Time
Code’ & the text ‘Censor Copy’ at the bottom of the video. This is so that
in case there are any cutes the censor board knows at exactly which second the
cuts need to be made. This should be the only video on the CD .The Cd needs to
be labeled as follows:
a.Song Titled: <<Fill in Song name here e.g. “Infatuation”>>
b.Duration : <<Write duration in mm:ss e.g. 3 min 59 secs>>
c.Producer: <<Write artist name here if you
are financing it yourself e.g. Dhiraj Raina>>
2.A demand draft of Rs. 1020/- needs to be made
payable to the ‘Pay & Account officer ,Ministry of I&B ,<City you
are applying to>’ .The City will change according to the censor office you
are applying to. E.g. If I am applying in Delhi the demand draft would be
payable to ‘Pay & Account officer ,MInistry of I&B ,New Delhi’ .Get 2
photocopies of this demand draft.
3.Script/Lyrics : 2 copies of the lyrics of the
song exactly in the way the appear in the video.Format of the document should
be :
a.Title : Script/Lyrics for
<<Songname>>
b.Written by : <Lyricist name>>
c.Lyrics of song
4.Synopsis: 2 copies of the Synopsis for the song
a.Title: Synopsis
b.Reason
for Censor Certificate: provide details of which channel needs it
c.Song details:
·Name of
Song
·Language
·Brief description
of song & Music video
·Album
·Artist
·Director
·Asst.
Director
·Agency
·Director
of Photography(DOP)
·Second
camera
·Producer
·Production
Assist
·Edited by
5.Covering Letter addressed to the Regional
Officer(See format in example below)
6.Undertaking on a Rs.100 stamp paper ,notarized
by the court. The text for the undertaking is provided on a sheet by the Censor
guys.You need to obtain this from their office.The whole notary process
including the stamp paper should cost you about Rs. 300-350 bucks & you can
get it done from any district court or notary guy.
7.Buy a cardboard File & label it with the
following details:
a.CBFC ID
b.Producer Name
c.Song - <<Songname>>
d.Duration<<In mm:SS>>
File
your documents in this folder
Great !So you have all your documents with you..Now you’re
ready to apply for your certificate!
Sample Submittion
Script/Lyrics
Lyrics : ‘Rise’
Written by : Pragnya
Wakhlu
You can’t stop my will , a bird in flight..
Riding through the sleepless night,
Guiding my way, a powerhouse of light..
Not outside but within..
Barriers may come, but they will fall..
I won’t break down, I will stand tall..
Not you or anyone can make me feel small..
I live for my dream..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
I see my dream materialize..
Building blocks in front of my eyes..
Steadfast, withstand the wind..
Brave and strong carry on..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
No backing down, no losing hope..
Glorious intent and steely strength..
Pessimists we have no room for you..
Our hearts are living the dream..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
My time has come to rise..
Synopsis
Reason for Censor Certificate: VH1
India would like to screen the music video on the ‘VH1 India Rules’ platform to
promote independent musicians in India. For this they require the music video
to have a censor certificate.
The details
of the Song are as follows:
Name of Song: ‘Rise’
Language: English
Brief description of song & Music video:
The song ‘Rise’ is written to inspire people to rise to their true calling.
The video depicts the pure spirit (in white) and symbols of growth and
prosperity such as rise fields, sunshine and several shots of nature. The song
is intended to motivate and inspire people.
c.Create a username & password for yourself.You
will receive a CBFC id
d.You need to call up the censor board office
where you are applying and ask them to activate your ID. If they don’t do it
over the phone you need to go there with the printout of the confirmation page
and ask them to activate it
2.Once your id is created and has been activated,visit
the CBFC website & log in with your CBFC id & password. You will come
to the Home page
3.Go to the ‘Application Forms’ tab .Select the
‘Fresh’ option from the drop down on the
Form IA: Application for Certification for
public exhibition of a VIDEO film produced in India. Row & click on the ‘Apply’ button.
4.You will be taken to Form 1-A where you need to
fill in the details of the short film(See reference application below for
reference)
5.On the ‘Screening Fee’ Tab select ‘Yes’ for ‘Whether film to be screened
at CBFC.The screening fee takes care of the projector that the CBFC guys hire
to review your music video/film.The charge is Rs. 70/-
6.On the ‘Certification Fee’ tab select ‘NPE” for
Whether the film is PE/NPE.The certification fee is Rs. 950/-
7.The Total payable amount shows on the screen
which is Rs. 1020/-.
8.Go to the ‘No. of DD’s to be added’ dropdown and
select ‘1’.A pop up will open where you need to enter the Demand Draft Details.
9.At the bottom of the Page Click on ‘List of
Documents’.Select the following:
a.9/6 Copies of Script/Commentary
b.9/6 Copies of Synopsis
c.Rs. 100 Undertaking on stamp paper
10.Save the document & Submit.
11.Once you have submitted you need to take a print
out of FORM 1A which you have filled online, & the list of Documents
12.File all documents in the labeled cardboard
file. Check if all the documents below are present:
a.Covering letter
b.Synopsis – 2 copies
c.Lyrics – 2 copies
d.Form 1-A
e.Undertaking on Rs. 100 Stamp paper
f.Demand Draft
g.Photocopy of Demand Draft
h.Censor Copy CD of music video with Time Code
13.Now that the online submission of the documents
is complete, you need to physically go and submit the documents to the censor
board.
14.Once this is complete you need to log in &
you can keep checking your certification status from the website & which
stage your certification is in.
15.Once it reachs the printing & issuance
stage,call the censor board & ask if the certificate is ready to be
collected.
16.IF cuts are to be made they will ask you to make
cuts & you need to resubmit the video..but if all’s clear you should
receive the certificate within 10 days from the day of submitton!
