The Team

OUR INDUSTRY EXPERTS

We’ve brought together a selection of some of the music industry’s leading stakeholders – from producers, engineers, musicians, pro-audio manufacturers, and studio directors – to create an exciting and extremely unique 5-day masterclass. The event will be headlined by Grammy winning mix engineer and producer, Sylvia Massy, with a 3-day end-to-end song production masterclass. Her credits include Tool, Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Seal, Johnny Cash, System of a Down, Smashing Pumpkins.

SYLVIA MASSY

Sylvia Massy is an American mix engineer and record producer, based in Ashland, Oregon.

Her credits span decades across rock, alternative and pop music, with landmark work including Tool, System of a Down, Johnny Cash, alongside work connected to Prince, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Slayer, Aerosmith, Seal, Paula Abdul, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Zed, and Skunk Anansie. Her wider catalogue also includes projects tied to major artist ecosystems, such as work on Grey Daze (Chester Bennington’s pre-Linkin Park project) and mixes involving performers such as Duff McKagan (Guns N’ Roses).

She began working professionally in the mid-1980s as a producer, engineer and mixer, before moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles in the late 80s, where her work with Green Jellö led to collaborations with members of Tool and subsequently records such as Opiate and Undertow. Through the 90s she engineered/produced across major-label projects and collaborated closely with producer Rick Rubin, including work connected to Johnny Cash’s Unchained and System of a Down’s debut.

From 1994-2001 her vintage Neve 8038 console and equipment were based at Sound City’s Studio B, where she recorded many major albums there during that period. In 2001 she opened and ran RadioStar Studios in Weed, California until 2012, and today operates primarily from a private home studio in Ashford, Oregon. Her book, Recording Unhinged (2016), become a bestseller in it’s category.

SENNHEISER INDIA & NEUMANN BERLIN

Sennheiser and Neumann join the programme as our official gear partners. Founded in 1945 near Hanover, Germany, Sennheiser has spent decades shaping professional audio. From microphones and wireless systems to broadcast and live production, they a reputation built on engineering rigour and real-world reliability.

Today, the Sennheiser Group brings together specialist brands including Neumann.Berlin (high-end studio microphones and monitoring solutions), Merging Technologies (high-resolution digital audio recording systems), and AMBEO (immersive audio), reflecting a deep commitment to innovation across the full recording and listening chain.

As part of the masterclass, one of their product specialists will lead a curated, industry-relevant session for participants, focused on real-world capture choices and critical listening in a studio workflow. We’ll also be running a participant giveaway, with one Neumann NDH 30 headphone awarded during the programme.

BAY OWL STUDIOS AND VARUN PARIKH

Bay Owl Studios is the official studio partner and host for the event week, providing a real-world commercial studio environment for the masterclass and related sessions. The studio is a multi-room audio production facility, and one of the most in-demand studios in Mumbai, with the rooms built for end-to-end work across music and audio-post for both, independent creators and large commercial campaigns.

As part of the event, Bay Owl will present a curated workshop on the role of the modern-day studio and integrating with independent artists.

The masterclass will be a practical look at how the professional studios can meaningfully integrate into today’s independent music ecosystem, support creators at different budget levels, and build long-term artist relationships. The workshop will cover how studios can collaborate with independent artists through flexible services, transparent processes, repeatable session systems, and platforms for discovery – and how artists can use studios strategically to level up their sound, speed, and credibility.

The session will be led by Varun Parikh, Founder of Bay Owl Studios and Director of Abbey Road Institute Mumbai. Over the past fifteen years, Varun has collaborated with leading Indian and international artists including Karsh Kale, Sa Dingding, Warren Mendonsa, Benny Dayal, Apeksha Dandekar, Vir Das, Ankur Tiwari, Divine, KSHMR and a wide range of independent artists across diverse genres. Beyond working with artists, he has contributed to over 2,000 commercial projects in varying roles from sound designer to music supervisor.

In 2020, Varun founded Bay Owl Studios with two purpose-built rooms dedicated to recording and audio post-production, and has since then, expanded to five multipurpose studios, establishing a reputation and becoming one of the most in-demand studios in the city, as well as being voted one of the top 12 recording studios in the country in 2024.

Varun earned industry recognition for his work in 2024, receiving the Indian Recording Arts Academy (IRAA) Award for Best Song Mix (Electronic), and with another mix of his winning Best Rock Song (Original) at the Cannes World Film Festival Awards in France.

Watch this space as we continue to bring on board professionals and brands from the industry to enhance the user experience.

PRS FOR MUSIC

PRS for Music joins the programme as an official knowledge partner, bringing global expertise in music rights, royalties, and publishing. Representing more than 180,000 members and a catalogue of over 45 million musical works, PRS for Music works to ensure that songwriters, composers, and music publishers are fairly compensated whenever their music is streamed, broadcast, performed live, downloaded, or played in public around the world.

As one of the world’s leading music collective management organisations, PRS for Music plays a vital role in supporting sustainable careers for creators through licensing and royalty collection across international markets.

As part of the masterclass, representatives from PRS for Music will conduct a focused workshop introducing participants to the fundamentals of music publishing, performance royalties, rights management, and the practical realities of navigating today’s global music industry.

TUNECORE

TuneCore joins the programme as our official music distribution and artist development partner. Founded in New York City in 2006 and now part of Believe, TuneCore has become one of the world’s leading digital music distribution, publishing, and licensing platforms. The company helps independent artists release their music across major streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, TIDAL, Beatport, and more, while also providing publishing administration and royalty collection services for songwriters worldwide.

With a mission to empower independent creators, TuneCore offers artists the tools, insights, and infrastructure needed to build sustainable careers in today’s global music ecosystem. Through distribution, publishing, audience analytics, and career development resources, the platform supports millions of artists at every stage of their journey.

As part of the masterclass, TuneCore will present a focused workshop titled “Going Beyond Distribution and Charting Your Future with TuneCore’s Artist Tools.” Participants will explore the fundamentals of modern music distribution, learn how to interpret streaming and audience analytics to inform release and social media strategies, and discover how independent artists can leverage data and platform tools to expand their reach, engage audiences, and support long-term career growth.

MUSIC PLUS

Music Plus joins the programme as our official music industry media partner. As India’s only interactive portal dedicated to the music business, Music Plus serves as a comprehensive information hub for artists, labels, publishers, streaming platforms, promoters, managers, investors, and other key stakeholders across the industry. Through news, analysis, interviews, events, job listings, and real-time industry coverage, the platform offers a unique window into the evolving music ecosystem.

With a highly engaged audience of music industry professionals and decision-makers, Music Plus plays an important role in connecting creators with opportunities, insights, and conversations shaping the future of music in India and beyond.

As part of the masterclass, the All About Music team will lead a focused industry session for participants, exploring the current music business landscape, emerging opportunities for artists and professionals, and the importance of staying informed and connected in an increasingly dynamic industry.