Shimla: Lack of incentives for professional folk artists and writers to sustain in a fiercely competitive pop culture, Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS) has come up with registering artists and their works to enable collection of royalty earnings for them.
The body has been constituted by Human Resource Development Ministery for protecting copyrights of composers and lyricists so that royalty earnings could sustain the artists.
Kunal Sarin, general manager IPRS told media persons here that anyone performing works of such registered artists in live shows or in recorded soundtracks would have to obtain license from the society.
Of the license fee obtained, 50% would go as royalty to publisher (producer), 20 per cent to writer and 30 per cent to music composer. Even after their death the royalty of the artists till 60 years of age would go to his family, he added.
The society declared that it would hold a camp in Himachal to register folk artists. Vikky Chauhan, a popular local singer announced his registration with IORS.
Provision of obtaining a license after paying a fee for playing music or songs by folk artists exists but efforts to enforce it across the country are yet to be made, said Sarin.
The society would monitor the use of film music and works of folk artists in commercial places- shops, restaurants or live events- without obtaining a license.
Letters would be sent to all commercial establishments like restaurants, hotels, beauty saloons, gymnasiums, hospitals, clinics to obtain license to play film or folk music, he said.
In Himachal, there were only seven hotels and restaurants which had registered with the society and obtained an annual license. The IPRS has 1357 registered music companies and artists in India and records a turn over or Rs. 10 crore per annum annually in form of royalties, Sarin disclosed.
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In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
