Amaal Mallik on complicated contracts in Hindi film music: Nobody has any clarity

Mumbai, Aug 11 (AHN) Music composer Amaal Mallik, who is known for advocating the artistes’ rights in the music industry, has said that the system of royalty and residual income is quite complicated and warped in the industry.

Amaal, who has composed the song ‘Yeh Awarapan’ from the upcoming Emraan Hashmi-starrer ‘Awarapan 2’, spoke with AHN during the promotions of the film in the BKC area of Mumbai.

He told AHN, “The type of contracts you sign with a label, artist or a production house, everyone has their own levels, and no one exactly knows what they agree on or what terms they agree on. What Rahman sir will get as a deal will not be what I will get as a deal. What I will get as a deal, maybe some other composer will not get. What he gets, someone new will not get. So, I think it is up to people’s own decision making. Obviously, the laws of our country have improved. But the master share of royalty is of the production house or label”.

However, he agreed that the system of revenue sharing in south Indian cinema is more streamlined and transparent.

He said, “In the South industry, they share a huge chunk with big artists. But, there is a balance. Some take upfront fees and some don't. But, there is a lack of clarity on the Hindi film side. Here, we don't know what happens. Here, everyone's contracts are different. Everyone's requirements are different. Why is everyone agreeing on one price? No one has any clarity. In the South, there is a lot of respect given to the composers. They know that music hypes the film and gives it a positioning. I am glad that it is happening there. But, it is a slow process in Hindi cinema. It is not fully wrong, but it is not fully right also. There is no 100% clarity in royalties”.

“We don't get radio royalties. We don't know how much we get from streaming. In a year, every artiste gets according to their catalogue. Where intricately money streams should be more or not, we will get to know when more avenues open. In the Hindi film industry, it is difficult to ask for your masters. The marketing of a song costs crores of rupees. Actors are also involved in the song. There are also producers making those decisions”, he added.