Royalties work like pension for us musicians, says Amit Trivedi
AMIT TRIVEDI FEELS THAT DESPITE BEING A GOOD ARTIST, ONE’S MUSIC CAN FIZZLE OUT ANY DAY, SO ROYALTIES OFFER A SENSE OF SECURITY TO MUSICIANS
Ever since lyricist Javed Akhtar became the chairman of the IPRS (Indian Performing Rights Society; a copyright royalty collection body formed in 1969), musicians across the country are hopeful of finally starting to get their royalties, feels composer Amit Trivedi. He says that things have already “improved” ever since the veteran lyricist was elected to the post last year.
“Royalties work like pension for us musicians. Even if in future, someone stops making music, he or she can still earn from their music through royalties. It’s like a sense of security that every musician must have. We have hardly received anything in form of royalties [so far]. But, ever since Akhtar saab has taken over, things have improved massively. Thanks to him, things have started to fall into place,” he says.
The 38-year-old asserts that unlike other kinds of artists, career as a musician can be unpredictable, since one has to constantly battle changing trends and decreasing relevance. “You never know when the sound can change overnight, and despite being a good musician, your music can fizzle out any day. So, from that perspective, having some kind of security is very important,” he explains.
That’s where live shows, according to Trivedi, become important. “Before royalties, the only other way to make money was through live shows, which are a great concept. But, because we hardly got any royalties, live shows became even more important,” he concludes.