Calling for protection of music authors’ royalties and rights, music composer and youth icon Amaal Malik has lamented that labels are not giving credits to original composers nor giving prominence to their names.

During a live conversation with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now, the hugely popular musician said that it is extremely important to protect the rights and royalties of authors.

“Composers and lyricists have always worked extremely hard on their music and to create a positive atmosphere in the industry it is important to protect their rights,” said Malik. He was speaking during the webcast of the Visionary Talk series held by the public policy and governance analysis platform.  

Though remixes have been around for 20 years, he said, none of them gave prominence to original composers. With so many remixes happening for so long there is no pop music now. It’s the same with films: in films too it happened so much that now independent music is doing better than film music. The music director, singer, background scorer, performer and lyricist said that original composers and music authors must fight for their rights so that their names are mentioned on labels.

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“It is shameful. Labels must give respect to original composers and singers and mention their names on titles or with the remix singer. This is basic ethics,” said Malik.

While speaking on how internet and technology has helped create and access music, he said the internet has helped create music and provided easy access through various streaming platforms.
“Internet has helped create music. Earlier, music could be accessed only through YouTube but now there are many streaming platforms. It is good that through internet, music is reaching out to a huge population.”

He however added that the internet has also created a challenge as songs get ripped before the release of the film. “Listeners must access music through streaming sites only as that is the legal way to do it,” he said.

Malik said that a song composed in a small room has the power to touch millions and millions of hearts all over the world. The melody may come to your mind anytime but while producing music you need gear, speakers, and other required equipment. The pandemic changed it all as all this was managed sitting at home. “During the lockdown, when filmmaking had stopped the only source of replenishing our souls was music. Music has the power to touch souls, so much so that even without knowing the musician the listener is connected to him. Every time the person is listening to your song he is paying for you. Whether the musician is alive or not, his music is always alive and stays in the heart of people.”

He further added that for the upcoming film ‘Saina’, on Indian badminton player Saina Nehwal, he recorded an entire Macedonia orchestra which actually took place in Greece, and the complete score was done through Skype. “Just by pressing a ‘recording’ button there and a ‘play’ button here, we had 40 musicians from a foreign country playing in our studio here with the same audio quality that was played in Greece. During the pandemic through such software including Zoom, I have had many interactions with world musicians and able to create music in a beautiful way. Technology has no borders. It has made communication and interaction extremely and helped create beautiful music. While personal interaction is important, yet the show must go on even in these trying times. This would have never ever happened earlier,” he said.

Responding to question on how he composes music for biopics on living personalities, Malik said it is important to keep in mind how the personality wants to be represented. The music has to be simple and hummable. “Mentally I have to grow with the character, only then the music will be script-bound and strike a chord with listeners. Without feeling pressurized the responsibility for creating music for that personality falls on your shoulders and you cannot go wrong on that. You cannot cheat the soul of that living personality.”

To aspiring musicians, he said there is no substitute for hard work and it is important to keep trying and to never give up. “Creativity comes in moments. Don’t force it, yet don’t give up. It is important to give a daily punch to your goals.”