Recorded Music Performance Limited

What RMPL is

RMPL — Recorded Music Performance Limited — holds a distinction that neither PPL nor Novex can claim: it is the only currently registered copyright society for sound recordings in India. RMPL received its registration on June 18, 2021 under Registration No. CS/03/SOUNDRECORDING/18, granted by DPIIT under Section 33(3) of the Copyright Act.

This legal status matters. The Copyright Act requires that organisations carrying on the business of licensing music in bulk must be registered copyright societies. PPL and Novex are not. RMPL is. When the Delhi High Court ruled in April 2025 that PPL could not issue licences without copyright society registration, it pointed to RMPL as the correct route — PPL was told it could licence its catalogue by joining RMPL as a member.

RMPL's practical catalogue

Despite its superior legal standing, RMPL's catalogue of member labels is smaller than PPL's or Novex's. RMPL's current members include Venus Music and various smaller regional labels. Lokdhun Telemedia — which operates Wave Music and Lokdhun Punjabi with over 80,000 tracks — left RMPL and joined PPL India as of April 1, 2026.

The major labels that dominate mainstream Indian music events — T-Series, Sony, Universal, Saregama, YRF, Zee Music, Tips — are licensed through PPL or Novex, not RMPL. For most event organisers and DJs, the probability of needing a standalone RMPL licence for their specific setlist is low. Check your tracks on Trakinfo to confirm.

Why RMPL's tariff matters to everyone

Even if you never directly deal with RMPL, their tariff structure affects you. Courts have consistently used RMPL's tariff as the benchmark for what constitutes a "reasonable" licence fee. The Delhi HC directed Azure Hospitality to pay at RMPL rates as an interim arrangement. When PPL's fees have been challenged as unreasonable, courts have compared them to RMPL's more granular and event-specific tariff structure.

The future of RMPL

The government is actively building toward a Unified Digital Music Licensing Registry, with RMPL positioned as the legal hub. If PPL's application for re-registration continues to be rejected, the major labels currently under PPL may need to route their public performance licensing through RMPL. This could make RMPL the central body for all sound recording licences in India. Trakinfo will update the bodies pages as this develops.

How to get an RMPL licence

Apply at rmplindia.org. RMPL offers public performance licences for background music and for events separately. Offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Chennai, and Odisha.