KESARIYA
L·01
The recording
The master audio Sony Music released. owned by the label
PPLadministers
L·02
The composition
Pritam's melody & Amitabh Bhattacharya's lyrics. owned by the composer + lyricist
IPRSadministers
INDIA MUSIC LICENSING EXPLAINED
A SONG IS NOT
ONE THING.
Every recorded track played in public in India carries two independent licences — for the recording and for the composition. Performer royalties are bundled into the recording licence, so you pay two bodies, not three. Below: what's inside the song, where the money goes, and what you actually need for your event.
01 / Anatomy of a track
WHAT'S INSIDE THE SONG.
A single track is legally two things stacked on top of each other. Take Kesariya — two different owners, two different licences.
02 / Where the money goes
ONE TRACK PLAYS → TWO PAYMENTS LEAVE.
YOU PLAY A TRACK AT YOUR EVENT
For the recording, pay
PPLNovexRMPL
Money reaches the label that owns the master — Sony, T-Series, YRF, etc. A portion is forwarded to ISAMRA for the singers and musicians on the track.
For the composition, pay
IPRS
Money reaches the composer & lyricist who wrote the song — Pritam, Vishal-Shekhar, etc.
03 / The two layers, in depth
WHO HANDLES WHAT.
Layer 01 · Recording
Sound Recording
The one everyone knows about
The recorded master a label released. Different labels belong to different societies — and one licence does not cover the others.
RMPL statusRMPL is the only currently registered copyright society for sound recordings in India (Registration No. CS/03/SOUNDRECORDING/18). PPL's registration application has been pending since 2014. The Delhi HC's April 2025 ruling noted that PPL should route its licensing through RMPL; the Supreme Court has stayed that order pending appeal. Read the full timeline →
Layer 02 · Composition
Composition & Lyrics
The one people miss
The melody and words — the work of the composer and lyricist, separate from whoever recorded it. IPRS administers this for almost every Indian song.
Key exceptionWeddings are exempt under Section 52(1)(za) of the Copyright Act, 1957. All other events still require IPRS.
04 / Your event
WHAT DO I ACTUALLY NEED?
The wedding card is the one most people get wrong. IPRS is exempt for weddings — but only for weddings, and only for IPRS.
WEDDING
RecordingREQUIRED
IPRSEXEMPT
Section 52(1)(za)
CORPORATE
RecordingREQUIRED
IPRSREQUIRED
Both apply
CLUB NIGHT
RecordingREQUIRED
IPRSREQUIRED
Both apply
FESTIVAL
RecordingREQUIRED
IPRSREQUIRED
Both apply
06 / Liability
WHO IS RESPONSIBLE — DJ, VENUE, OR ORGANISER?
Under Indian copyright law, the DJ, the venue, and the event organiser are all jointly liable for music licences under Section 51 of the Copyright Act. A 2011 court ruling confirmed that DJs cannot claim the wedding exemption — the family is exempt, not the professional DJ they hire.
In practice, the event organiser is best placed to obtain event-specific licences. The venue holds annual background licences. The DJ should confirm in writing who holds what — or build a single-licence setlist using Trakinfo.
Performer rights — what about ISAMRA?
When you pay PPL India or Novex, a portion of that fee automatically goes to ISAMRA — the copyright society representing singers and musicians who recorded the tracks.
You don't contact ISAMRA separately.
You don't pay them separately.
It's handled through your existing licence.
Founded in 2013 by Lata Mangeshkar, Sonu Nigam and others, ISAMRA distributed ₹100 crore to 26,000+ performers in 2025.
What is RMPL and when do I need a separate licence?
RMPL (Recorded Music Performance Limited) is the only currently registered copyright society for sound recordings in India — registration No. CS/03/SOUNDRECORDING/18, granted by the Central Government in June 2021 under Section 33(3) of the Copyright Act, 1957. PPL's own registration application has been pending since 2014.
Legal significance: RMPL is the only sound- recording body currently on the register. The Delhi High Court's April 2025 ruling held that public-performance licensing should be channelled through RMPL as the registered society. The Supreme Court has stayed that order while it hears PPL's appeal — read the full timeline.
Practical catalogue: small. Venus Music, Sidharth Broadcasting, Monvid, and a handful of regional / independent labels. The vast majority of mainstream Indian tracks are released by labels that hold PPL or Novex membership, not RMPL.
One-window future: if the Supreme Court affirms the Delhi HC's April 2025 ruling, RMPL could eventually become the single point for sound-recording licensing in India — collecting on behalf of all member labels rather than running parallel to PPL and Novex. Until the SC decides, the three-body system stays in place.
When you need RMPL today: only if any track in your setlist is from a confirmed RMPL member label — Venus Music being the most common. Use Trakinfo's track search to find out.