Mazufa Sessions is a series of live performances filmed in one room, in one take where the music allows, and released as audio and video with every credit in place. Some sessions revisit heritage repertoire; others are the first recording of a new song. This page explains what a session is, how an artist applies to record one, and how a platform requests a premiere.
What a session is
A session is a live performance, recorded and filmed by Mazufa, of one artist, a duo or a small ensemble. The format is simple on purpose: real instruments, a real room, a performance that stands without edits. Each session is released as a master audio recording and a video, and both carry the same credits, tied to the same ISRC, for every performer, writer, arranger and engineer.
Heritage sessions bring Gulf and Arabic songs from the tradition into a clean, documented recording with the writer and the source named. New sessions give a current song its first recording, often before a studio version exists.
- Solo, duo or small ensemble, acoustic or lightly amplified
- Audio and video released together, with full credits on both
- Heritage repertoire and new songs, in Gulf and other Arabic dialects
Premiere window, then wide release
Each session is offered first to one platform as a limited-time exclusive premiere. During that window the session appears on that platform alone, with the platform's own editorial framing and the credits intact. When the window closes, the session goes to wide release on every store Mazufa delivers to, as audio and video, under the same codes.
The length of the window and the premiere terms are set out in writing between Mazufa and the platform before delivery. A window is not changed without a written amendment signed by both sides, and the artist is told who the premiere partner is beforehand.
How artists apply
Any artist or act working in Gulf or Arabic music can apply, whether or not Mazufa distributes their other releases. We ask for a short note on the repertoire you want to record, a link to a recent performance, and the line-up. A person reviews each application and replies by email.
If the application fits a slot in the series, the next step is a written agreement covering the recording, the credits, the premiere and the release. Nothing is recorded before that agreement is signed.
- Tell us the songs, the arrangement and who performs
- For heritage material, name the writer and the source you learnt it from
- For new songs, confirm the writer and any co-writer in writing
What Mazufa keeps and what the artist keeps
Mazufa produces the recording and holds the master rights to the session as set out in the written agreement with the artist. The artist's share of revenue from the session, in audio and in video, is set out in the same agreement, as are the credits, the territories and the term. The composition stays with its writer and publisher; a session does not change who owns the song.
There is no upload fee, no subscription, no per-release fee; the revenue share is set out in your written agreement. The artist receives the final audio and video, the credit sheet and the delivery record, and sees the session on monthly statements like any other release.
How platforms request a premiere
A platform, a broadcaster or a venue that wants to premiere a session writes to us through the form on this page, naming the repertoire or the artist it has in mind. We reply with the sessions, planned or recorded, that are still open for a premiere, with a one-page summary of each. The terms are then set out in writing.
- One platform per session for the premiere window
- Credits, artist name and artwork delivered as one package with the session
- The platform may add its own editorial text but may not alter the recording
- Wide release follows the window on the date agreed in writing
Questions
Do I have to be a Mazufa artist to record a session?
No. The series is open to any artist working in Gulf or Arabic music. If you distribute elsewhere, the session is released by Mazufa under the written agreement for that session only; your other releases are not affected.
Can a session be released without a premiere?
Yes. If no platform takes the premiere window, or the artist asks in the agreement for a direct release, the session goes to wide release on the planned date without an exclusive period.
Who owns the video?
Mazufa holds the master rights to both the audio and the video, as the written agreement sets out. The artist's revenue share covers both, and the artist may use short excerpts on their own profiles as the agreement describes.