India’s independent music sector continues to grow, but conversations about mental health within the industry remain limited and largely informal. A new research project titled It’s Time to Talk aims to address this gap through what is expected to be the largest study of its kind in the country. The initiative brings together Goldsmiths, University of London, TATVA, the Global Music Institute (GMI), and data specialists Creative Empirical.
Dr. George Musgrave, who has led several major international studies on musicians’ mental health, spoke to Music Plus about why India is a significant next step and how the research is being shaped for local realities. His previous work includes Can Music Make You Sick? in the UK, which contributed to the establishment of the Music Minds Matter helpline, and When Music Speaks in Denmark, which informed a national Code of Conduct for employers.
Learning from previous large-scale studies
Dr. George Musgrave says earlier international projects highlighted three principles that are central to the India study as well. He explains:
“I feel very lucky that both of these incredible projects in the UK and Denmark, which I worked on alongside Dr. Sally Anne Gross, had three principles which our team in India are bringing to ‘It’s Time to Talk’. First, the need for the largest, richest empirical data possible from which to base decisions is crucial, and so mobilising resources, and working closely with stakeholders, to try and secure a high sample size is crucial.
Second, a collaborative approach which brings together research expertise, and musicians/funders/other partners as sector experts, with shared values is fundamental so the project doesn’t just sit in an academic journal and not go further. In other words, both these projects have shown me the need to optimistically embed impactful outcomes from day one. Thirdly, both of these projects had a sense of cultural sensitivity.”
He notes that India currently has no mental health codes or mandates within the music ecosystem. The project aims to generate evidence that can guide accountability across labels, streaming services, promoters, managers and other stakeholders.
Building a survey tailored to India
The genesis of the project traces back to TATVA’s Kripi Malviya, who contacted Dr. George Musgrave after seeing similar work in Europe. Her experience at festivals and large-scale events indicated that mental health pressures were significant in India but not yet part of a structured conversation.
Musgrave recalls how the collaboration developed across organisations:
“Kripi told me that from her professional work in India working at major events such as Magnetic Fields Festival and beyond, she knew that mental health challenges impacted the music industry in India but, for various reasons, the conversation had not started in a meaningful way… I said I didn’t need money, I just wanted to help make this happen.”
With participation from GMI and the involvement of data analyst Oliver Durcan, the team built a framework intended to reflect the realities of the Indian music economy. The survey brings together demographic information, professional profiles across film and non-film sectors, clinically validated psychological scales, and experiences related to work environments.
Musgrave says:
“The vision has three parts: (1) to collect robust data, (2) to use the data to identify need, and (3) drive change. Ultimately, the moon shot would be establishing a union or alliance that represents, helps, protects and furthers the specific needs of the independent music ecosystem in India.”
Adapting global research models for a local context
Musgrave describes the process as an anthropological exercise. Designing the study involved repeated consultation with Indian partners to ensure the approach was appropriate.
He gives several examples:
“Doing research on music industries in different territories is really an anthropological exercise. I could suggest things around survey design, and they would say what was appropriate in India.”
This included making the survey fully anonymous, adjusting sensitive questions, and accommodating major structural distinctions such as the prominence of film music and the different ways “independent” is understood.
“You cannot just take a research model from Europe, and assume it will work in the same way in India, so it’s been a genuinely collaborative exercise.”
From findings to policy
Once data collection concludes, the next step will involve presenting insights to a range of industry groups and examining how the results differ across regions, roles and demographics.
Musgrave says:
“Let’s assume we (hopefully) secure the buy-in of musicians and professionals across India, then the next step will be to speak to stakeholders about what we find. Solutions cannot be imposed; they need to be co-created based on data.”
He emphasises that patterns across gender, geography, or sub-sectors of the industry can only be interpreted once a sufficiently large and diverse sample is available.
A research perspective shaped by lived experience
Musgrave’s background as a rapper signed to Sony informs how he approaches conversations on creative wellbeing.
“When I sit down and speak to a musician whether it’s in London, or Copenhagen, or Mumbai… they know that I get what they are saying. I have lived that life at a fundamental level.”
He notes that this shared understanding influences survey design, interview framing and the way he interprets feedback from artists.
Positioning India within a wider global shift
Research on musicians’ mental health has historically been concentrated in Europe, North America and Australia. Musgrave observes that more studies are now emerging from Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia.
India’s participation, he believes, will add depth to this global body of work.
“What does success mean for us in India? I think in the first instance, just a sense of musicians and wider professionals feeling that a group of people are listening to them and taking their mental health concerns seriously… And then there are the more optimistic ambitions, like this research leading the launch of something which can meaningfully help people and even change lives.”
