Attorney Manojna Yeluri is bringing back her pro bono initiative Coffee for Contracts for its 2026 edition, offering musicians and other creative professionals free, informal legal guidance throughout July 2026. Since 2018, the founder of law firm Artistik License has set aside the month to answer legal questions from artists via email, 45-minute online video calls, or in-person meetings in Bengaluru.
Yeluri describes the program as “an annual opportunity to better understand the barriers artists encounter, and the realities of building creative lives across different contexts.” The conversations inform the educational guides and workshops that Artistik License produces. She stresses that the exchanges are “intentionally informal” and “purely educational,” and do not create a lawyer-client relationship. Participants who require ongoing legal assistance can formally retain the firm.
Legal Access Gaps in India’s Music Sector
A 2025 Music City report from Indian development hub Neon Culture surveyed over 200 musicians and industry professionals in Bengaluru and Kochi. It found that only 23% of respondents in Bengaluru and 29% in Kochi said they “have a lawyer on my team.”
Yeluri noted that for many musicians, Coffee for Contracts marks their first conversation with a lawyer, or their first interaction with one not provided by a label or management company.
What Artists Are Asking
Emerging musicians frequently seek help understanding their rights and royalties, or unpacking specific management and record label contracts. More established artists have used the sessions to get advice on structuring entrepreneurial ventures, “from indie labels to foundations,” Yeluri said.
Recent years have seen a rise in participation from women and queer artists. “Many of them have said that they have a tough time with the intense patriarchal nature of the industry and its ways,” Yeluri added. She founded the initiative on “the belief that when we better understand the legal, socio-economic and political realities artists and practitioners face, we build a stronger creative ecosystem for everyone.”
The submission window for the 2026 edition of Coffee for Contracts closes on 31 July.
