MUMBAI: In a united effort to provide independent musicians with a platform to jet start their careers, three of India’s leading music promoters – Vh1 India, Universal Music India and Hard Rock Cafe India have combined their efforts to create ‘Contrabands’. It is a platform tailored to provide opportunities for aspiring Indie artists across the country. Contrabands will be the first ever property to consolidate key factors like Discovering, Recording, Promoting and Managing the bands. Thus empowering artists to be exposed and gain access to the best studios in town, top quality videos production capabilities and live gigs.

For all those aspiring artists who eat, sleep and breathe music, the time is right for aiming musicians to be a part of Contrabands. One can register on the Contrabands site where their music will be sampled by the head honchos of Vh1, UMI and Hard Rock Cafe India. The micro site will provide relevant tools for bands to register and have their music reach the right people with minimum effort allowing for artists across genres to upload their material.

After the talent is discovered, UMI will sign them to a 3 year recording and management deal and activate a synchronized marketing and promotional campaign that will include mass media exposure, digital distribution, live shows, brand endorsements and collaborations with international UMG artists.

Universal Music India and SAARC managing director  Devraj Sanyal commented on the same,

“Growing up as a musician as frontman of metal band "Brahma" we had to struggle for years to be heard, seen & then eventually published. I know that pain personally & we have instituted "Contrabands" to give the next generation a real chance to be who they've set out to be. Jointly partnered with VH1, India's leading English Music & Lifestyle Channel & Hard Rock Cafe, India's leading music venue, gives us a huge real model in place that helps us discover, curate & publish the music of tomorrow from India. "Contrabands" as a model is unique with no such structure existing anywhere in the world currently & I have no doubt that with the help of forward thinking partners like Vh1 & HRC, "Contrabands" will become the most extensive inde platform there is globally today. The playability of the model is a full 360 where the new talent will be published akin to an A-Lister star of Universal Music.”

Vh1 will formulate a creatively conceptualized music video that will have an international look and feel for the artists. This video will give the bands enormous exposureby finding its way to the television screens of 70 million viewers across India. Also apart from being integrally involved with the selection and grooming process, Vh1 will also actively monetize Contrabands through its sponsor base.

Commenting on this association, Ferzad Palia, senior vice-president & GM – English Entertainment, Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd says, “Vh1 has always supported Indian artists since its inception in India. This partnership with UMI and HRC takes our platform 360 degrees and is sure to spot and develop some of the best hidden jewels. We're extremely excited to take these musicians to the next level.”

As the official Tour and Venue Partner of Contrabands, Hard Rock Cafe will provide the indie artists a stage to showcase their music talent and promote them through on ground branding and various digital media.

Speaking on the venture, Sanjay Mahtani, co-founder and executive Director, JSM Corp, said, “Hard Rock has always endeavored to bring forth an extraordinary musical experience for music enthusiasts. With this novel initiative 'Contrabands', we are delighted to join forces with two other giants in the music and entertainment field, Universal Music Group & Vh1 to build a platform for the best of India’s young indie talent to showcase their musical prowess. As an official Tour and Venue Partner of Contrabands, Hard Rock Cafe  India provides a platform which will catapult an emerging band to success and introduce their sound to the Indian audience. Through our integrated efforts to put across a perfect amalgamation of ‘discover, record, promote and manage’, Contrabands will resonate boundless opportunities for the aspiring artists”

Armed with a revolutionary business model the property aspires to combine broadcasts as well as live music to create not just a national platform for indie artists but one that provides international exposure ensuring a spot at lineups of festivals like Hard Rock Calling, Glastonbury and Tomorrow Land.