MTV tweaks Coke Studio format in Season 2

Coke Studio will return with 12 producers, unlike Season One when there was only one producer. The show has also invested in recording 40 exclusive songs by the artists who will perform on the show.

MTV is all set to launch the second season of Coke Studio @ MTV, with a few tweaks in the format of the show to garner better ratings and more eyeballs. This season will witness 12 producers and 200 musicians.

In the last season, the show had a single producer for the complete series of 10 episodes.

Though the core theme of the property will not change, the channel says that 40 exclusive songs are being recorded by the top artists involved in the second season. "The basic format of the show - to blend the different forms of music - will not change, but a lot has been done to enhance the content. The exclusive songs will become viral after the premieres on the show. The core format of any property is not disturbed much. For instance, Roadies will always remain the same hard-hitting competition-based show as it is. To keep it fresh, we keep changing the locations and the tasks," says Aditya Swamy, executive vice-president and business head, MTV India.

The channel adds that the minor changes are required to keep the show fresh and match the evolution of the audience mindset.

To expand the brand beyond television, the channel claims to have a 360 degree marketing and audience engagement campaign. This includes online videos depicting the rehearsals and recordings of the artists. Radio, mobile, print, digital, outdoor and live concerts will comprise other touch-points.

Wasim Basir, director, integrated marketing communications, Coca-Cola India, says, "Coke Studio@MTV - Season 2 will follow a surround sound approach towards distribution, as content will be available across several platforms such as TV, web, mobile, radio and CDs."

The show will have eight episodes and the last episode will see the performances of five of the young talented musicians, including Hari and Sukhmani (fusion of Punjabi folk with ambient electronic), Dhruv Sangari (also known as Bilal Chisti, a sufi singer), Papon (Assam-based singer, composer and producer) and Agam (contemporary Carnatic rock).

There will be eight episodes of the show and the last episode will see the performances of five of the young talented musicians, including Hari and Sukhmani (fusion of Punjabi folk with ambient electronic), Dhruv Sangari (also known as Bilal Chisti, a sufi singer), Papon (Assam-based singer, composer and producer) and Agam (contemporary Carnatic rock).

Speaking about Coke Studio's presence on both on-air and off-air platforms, Basir adds, "I think the two platforms complement each other. The result and output in terms of the audience reach is far more impactful once different media work together and support each other. In Season 1, we organised mini concerts. Through this platform, we tried to create a unique blend that struck a chord with our audience and they were able to connect with the show. We organised the Coke Studio 'minicerts' in 10 cities across India."

For the record, the list of artists include Amit Trivedi, Nitin Sawhney, Karsh Kale, Ehsaan and Loy, Clinton Cerejo, Shantanu Moitra, Hitesh Sonik, Shilpa Rao, Jalebee Cartel, La Pongal, Agam, Saawan Khan Mangniyar, Mame Khan, Noora Sisters, Moora Lala, Sabeer Khan, Master Saleem, Swanand Kirkire, Piyush Mishra, Shankar Tucker and Kaushiki Chakrabarty, amongst others.