ISAMRA — the Indian Singers' and Musicians' Rights Association — is India's registered copyright society for singers and musicians. It collects performer royalties on behalf of its members under Section 38A of the Copyright Act 1957, which gives every singer an inalienable right to receive royalties whenever their recorded performance is played publicly.
ISAMRA was founded in 2013 by some of India's most prominent singers including Lata Mangeshkar, Alka Yagnik, Kumar Sanu, and Sonu Nigam. It was previously known as ISRA — the Indian Singers Rights Association — and changed its name in 2023 to reflect that it now covers musicians as well as vocalists.
Do you need to pay ISAMRA separately?
For most venues, event organisers, and DJs who already hold a PPL India or Novex licence — no.
In 2023, ISAMRA signed an agreement with the Indian Music Industry (IMI), which represents over 200 record labels. Under this agreement, ISAMRA receives up to 25% of public performance revenue collected by PPL India. This means that when a venue or organiser pays PPL India, a portion of that payment automatically flows to ISAMRA on behalf of performers. The venue does not need to make a separate payment to ISAMRA.
Similarly, Novex's FAQ confirms that Novex also collects for ISAMRA members as part of its licensing. PPL India revised its tariff structure in April 2025 to explicitly include an ISAMRA component.
The result: if you hold a current PPL India or Novex licence, ISAMRA royalties are handled through that payment.
When would you need to contact ISAMRA directly?
Only in unusual situations where you are playing music that is not covered by either PPL or Novex — for example, small independent releases or music from labels not in either catalogue. In those cases, you would need to contact ISAMRA directly. Their tariff for events starts at ₹5,000 for events without an entry charge and ₹15,000 for ticketed events.
Wedding exemption — ISAMRA included
ISAMRA's own website confirms that no royalty is required for events held during a bona fide religious ceremony, which includes marriage processions and associated social festivities. The exemption under Section 52(1)(za) of the Copyright Act applies to ISAMRA as well as to IPRS. Weddings are exempt from ISAMRA royalties.
Where to learn more
ISAMRA's full tariff scheme, member list, and licence agreements are at isamracopyright.com. For most users of Trakinfo, the practical answer is: your PPL or Novex licence already includes ISAMRA. Confirm this with your licence issuer if you want written confirmation. For the full breakdown of all five licensing bodies, see Understand Licences.