IIMW & DeccanAlt: Goa & Kochi To Get Music Showcases & Conferences In February

Returning for a second edition this February, Kochi's Deccan Alternative Music Conference and Goa's India International Music Week join the likes of Mumbai's All About Music and Delhi's Rise//Del to add to the country's growing list of music networking and showcase events.

Deccan Alternative Music Conference

After its inaugural edition in Bangalore last year, Deccan Alternative Music Conference moves to Kochi's Kerala museum on February 7-8. With the theme of 'Looking inward/Looking outward', the 2-day event will host the likes of Music Tech India's Aniket Rajgarhia, artist and activist Tribemama Marykali, The Orchard's A&R Srishti Das and others like Nush Lewis and Sanoli Chowdhury. Alongside offering networking opportunities with its cohort of experts from the music industry, it will host hands-on workshops on music production, lighting design, and vocal technique, as well as host discussions and talks around music education in India, contracts, music business finance and fan engagement strategies.

The evenings of the event will double as a showcase, championing a selection of 7 artists that were handpicked from an open call. For the 2025 edition, DeccanAlt will feature: Aksomaniac, Fat Krrent, Meera, Nichesluck, papabear, Signal W and Soup, who will receive online workshops and pitching sessions ahead of the event.

Head here for tickets to Deccan Alternative Music Conference and follow them here for more information.

India International Music Week

Returning to The Westin in North Goa on February 4-6, India International Music Week (IIMW) strives to be "India’s First Global Music Conference & Showcase Festival". Consequently, it will try to benefit Indian practitioners around breaking into international markets and helping foreign players understand India's cultural industry better. With topics like data vs gut for A&R, music in gaming, music supervising, music festivals, royalty models, new tech and content driving music versus music driving content, IIMW will host top figures from the likes of Nodwin gaming, Austrian Music Export, Reeperbahn Festival, IPRS, Live Nation, Horus Music and Echoes of Earth Music Festival.

The sophomore edition of IIMW also boasts a formidable lineup for its performances, featuring Hamza Rahimtula & Rajasthan Folkstars, Madboy/Mink, Tipriti Kharbangar and Jatayu alongside the likes of Stalvart John, Kavya, Tracy De Sa and Kimyan Law.

For tickets to IIMW, head here and follow them on Instagram for more information.

Image from Decan Alt 2024 by Shivam Ghai