With footfalls of close to 2,000 people, the sixth edition of All About Music returned in person last week in Mumbai to explore every facet of music making in India. Whether it was the opening keynote by Vikram Mehra, Chairman of the Indian Music Industry who made sure to highlight Indian music’s shift towards independent non-film music to the last session on pitching your music to filmmakers like Anees Bazmee, Mohit Suri, Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, and Anurag Basu.
Over three days, AAM 2022 focused on topical panels, workshops and masterclasses that offered insights to accelerate an artist’s journey while traversing the 21st century musicscape. Conversations such as ‘In Sync’ tackled the issues surrounding getting your music placed in television and film. Another on the revival of A&R had stalwarts such as Rohan Jha, Director – Bollywood and Pop Repertoire, Sony Music Entertainment, who said, “There’s a fine balance between involvement and interference, what’s important is what the artist is comfortable with.” One on long format vs short formats highlighted changing audience consumption patterns while maintaining that an artist’s integrity and authenticity always shines through in their craft.
A huge emphasis was laid on marketing during current times which usually falls on the shoulders of artists themselves as Khatija Rahman, Musician and Director, Trustee – A R Rahman Foundation, said while elaborating on dismantling power structures. “The most important thing is to market yourself as an artist because no one is going to advocate you,” she said. “You are your biggest advocate.”
The conference also delivered success stories and brand presentations to showcase journeys such the crowdfunded Control ALT Delete music festival or the Indian Bureau of Standards’ latest involvement in Indian music. A special treat was the conversation between Sabbas Joseph, Director, Wizcraft Entertainment and music composer, ‘Rockstar’ DSP allowed the audience to experience the latter’s maniacal passion for music and his boundless ambition. Another discussion between Tarsame Mittal and Renuka Panwar showcased the latter’s meteoric worldwide success through the viral track ‘52 Gaj Ka Daman’. Reels too took centrestage at the three-day event spotlighting the importance of social media and the digital age in today’s music making efforts.
Masterclasses offered insights into the legwork that’s underway behind the scenes in the Indian music industry. From Padmanabhan NS – Head of Artist and Label Partnerships at Spotify talking about pitching music to the right audience and using the streaming platform’s tools to leverage their music to Priyanka Khimani, Media Advisory Lawyer, Founder – Khimani & Associates, discussing the Law of Music and copyright with author’s special rights.
For the first time, the conference also showcased artist performances with Yung Raja, Osho Jain, Mali, Kayan, Noisy Pots, and many more performing for an audience filled with everyone from aspiring musicians to industry veterans all under one roof. With promises to return bigger than ever, AAM 2022 drew to an end offering something worthwhile to everyone in the music business.
