Document
A record for every contributor.
A voluntary record of who contributed, what they did, and how they want that information handled.
Explore documentEvery sound.Every name.
Punjab Music Rights Society campaigns for the people behind Punjabi music through documentation, credit and rights education.
Why recognition matters01 / Why PMRS existsThe missing line
You hear
the song.
Who gets
named?
Punjabi music carries the work of traditional players, recording musicians, producers and voices. Their contributions can shape a song without their names reaching its listeners.
Illustrative credit lineNot a real release
01Lead artistNamed
02InstrumentalistName missing
03ProducerName missing
04Backing vocalistName missing
05EngineerName missing
PMRS aims to keep that connection visible: the sound, the contribution and the person who made it.
02 / Behind a recordingOne track.
One track.
Many hands.
A finished track brings together a performance, production and engineering. A contribution record names who did each part. A public credit carries those names to listeners.
How we approach documentation01A recording02Instrument03Production04Engineering
Scroll to see the layers / Drag to inspect03 / Our approachFive areas.
Make the contributor visible.
Five areas.
One purpose.
Make the contributor visible.Agree
Signed before the song drops.
Clear written terms before release: role, payment, credit, and permission for future uses.
Explore agreeCredit
Full credit, every release.
A complete, confirmed credit line that travels with the recording wherever it is published.
Explore creditTeach
Rights, taught plainly.
Practical education about agreements, metadata, consent, royalties, and existing institutions.
Explore teachAdvocate
Pressure where it counts.
Use what contributors experience to argue for better practice with industry and public institutions.
Explore advocate04 / The people at the centreEvery hand
Every hand
on the record.
A contributor is someone whose performance or recording work helps shape a track. These are some of the people PMRS's campaign centres on.Understand their contributions ↗
In the record / 01Needs listeners.
A traditional instrument reaches listeners through the musician who plays it. Their name belongs alongside that performance.
A contribution should be documented with the contributor's knowledge and consent. The credit should travel with the music.
Are you a contributor? Get in touch05 / Available to useKnow what
Know what
you are signing.
Keep names, roles and recording details together with the session worksheet. Create a private record to download or print, with the practical guide alongside it.
01 Before recording02 Before release03 After publication
06 / Where things standA start.
A start.
A next step.
The available resources are a starting point. The wider campaign has a proposed development path; its outcomes still need a public record.
A practical starting point.
The guide and optional session worksheet on this site help contributors prepare questions and keep a working record.
Learn with contributors.
The development plan calls for a focused pilot, contributor feedback and expert review before the approach expands.
Evidence of progress.
Verified activity totals, field reports and a public media archive are not yet available here. Future updates need a clear source and permission to share.
07 / The story behind the work
It started
with a search.
Editorial illustration / Instrument and studioAmritsar / 2025
A search for a rabaab player in Amritsar became Unheard Amritsar, a project about traditional instruments and their players.
Recording those musicians raised a further question: would their names remain connected to their sound? PMRS grew from that concern for visibility.
Visit Unheard Amritsar Aarush Singh Minhas / FounderRead the full origin story08 / Help shape what comes nextWhose name
Whose name
is missing?
Bring a musician's experience, help improve recording practice, or contribute expertise. The next steps need the people who make, release and care about Punjabi music.
Find your way inEvery sound.Every name.