IPRS (Indian Performing Right Society) administers the rights to the composition — the melody and lyrics — separately from the recording. Most operators forget this layer entirely. You need it on top of PPL/Novex/RMPL.
The wedding exemption
Section 52(1)(za) of the Copyright Act, 1957 explicitly carves out music played at:
- A bona fide religious ceremony
- An official ceremony held by Central/State Government or a local authority
The Explanation to the section makes the wedding piece explicit: "religious ceremony including a marriage procession and other social festivities associated with a marriage." So the exemption covers the ceremony itself (phera, varmala, nikah), the baraat, and sangeet, mehndi, haldi, and reception when held as part of the marriage. DPIIT confirmed this reading in a public clarification in July 2023.
What still applies at a wedding
Section 52(1)(za) covers IPRS, PPL, Novex, and RMPL — both the recording and the composition layers. ISAMRA's position on performer rights at weddings is less settled — there is no recorded enforcement action, but a hotel's own ISAMRA coverage is worth confirming separately.
Where the wedding exemption doesn't reach: a "wedding-themed" corporate party (a commercial event), or content reuse — if someone records music at your sangeet and posts it as a venue marketing reel, that's outside the exemption. The wedding licence guide walks through the edges in detail.
What an IPRS licence costs
IPRS publishes tariffs on its licensing page. Rates differ by event type, audience size, and whether music is foreground vs background. A single IPRS event licence covers all tracks where the composer/lyricist is an IPRS member — which is the overwhelming majority of Indian compositions.
What Trakinfo shows you
Every track detail page tells you which licences apply, and our wedding-note card adapts to the event context when you compile a setlist. The IPRS row stays visible unless you've selected "wedding ceremony" — at which point we flag the carve-out explicitly.