This is general information, not legal advice. Have a lawyer read any publishing or assignment agreement before you sign.

Most Indian independent artists understand the master — the recording their distributor delivers. Far fewer understand publishing, the business of the song itself: the composition and lyrics. If you write songs, publishing is where a separate, often uncollected stream of income lives.

Master vs composition

  • Master (sound recording): owned by whoever paid for or made the recording — you, or a label. Covered in who owns Indian indie masters.
  • Composition: the music and lyrics, owned by the composer and lyricist unless assigned. This is what publishers manage.

One recording on Spotify can generate money for both sides.

Income streams from a song

  • Performance royalties — when the song is played publicly, broadcast or streamed. In India, collected by IPRS for authors, composers and publishers. Start with registering with IPRS.
  • Mechanical royalties — for reproducing the song (downloads, streams, covers). Collection in India is less standardised than in the US or UK; part of it flows through IPRS and part via direct deals.
  • Sync fees — for use in films, ads, web series, games. See sync licensing in India.
  • Foreign collections — royalties from abroad collected by overseas societies and passed through IPRS or a publisher/admin.
  • Print and lyrics — lyric sites and services licence lyrics.

What a publisher does

A traditional publisher takes a share of ownership (often via assignment) in exchange for promotion, pitching to sync and other artists, advances, and admin. An admin publisher doesn't take ownership; it registers your songs worldwide and collects for a commission. Global admin services such as Songtrust operate this way; some Indian companies offer similar services.

The 2012 amendments: royalties authors can't sign away

India's Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 added protections for authors of literary and musical works incorporated in films and sound recordings: provisos in Sections 18 and 19 say authors can't assign or waive the right to receive royalties, shared equally with the assignee, for utilisation other than in the film itself (and similarly for sound recordings), except to legal heirs or a copyright society. This is why IPRS membership matters even if you've signed a deal. Read the Act and get advice on how it applies to your contract.

Deal types

  • Full publishing / assignment — Ownership: Publisher owns all or part; Typical use: Big advances, active pitching
  • Co-publishing — Ownership: Shared ownership; Typical use: Songwriters with leverage
  • Admin — Ownership: You keep ownership; Typical use: Indie writers wanting collection
  • Single-song — Ownership: One song assigned; Typical use: Sync or a specific release

Percentages and terms vary deal to deal; don't trust any "standard split" you read online.

Clauses to watch

  • Term and territory — how long and where.
  • Retention period — songs often stay with the publisher after the term ends.
  • Reversion — if the publisher doesn't exploit a song, does it come back?
  • Assignment vs licence — Section 19 requires assignments in writing and, if term/territory aren't stated, defaults apply.
  • Audit rights — your right to check statements.
  • Advance recoupment — what's charged against your royalties.

Getting your house in order

  1. Write split sheets for every co-write — split sheet guide.
  2. Register works with IPRS with correct splits.
  3. Ensure ISWC/work data matches across societies.
  4. Keep lyrics, demos and dates — evidence of authorship.
  5. Decide: self-publish + IPRS, admin deal, or full publisher.

Self-publishing in India

Many indie songwriters self-publish: register as author/composer with IPRS, consider a publisher membership via your own entity, and use an admin service for foreign collections. It's more paperwork but keeps ownership.

See how publishing fits into the bigger picture in streaming income in India.

Music publishers in India: who's who

India's publishing landscape looks different from the US or UK. Historically, film music labels have controlled both recordings and compositions for Bollywood and regional film soundtracks, often taking assignments of lyrics and music from composers and lyricists. For independent songwriters, the main players are:

  • IPRS (The Indian Performing Right Society) — the registered copyright society for musical and literary works. Authors, composers and publishers can become members; it licenses public performance and certain other uses and distributes royalties.
  • Label-affiliated publishers — many large Indian labels have publishing arms that administer the compositions in their catalogues.
  • Independent and admin publishers — smaller Indian companies and global admin services that register songs and collect for a commission without taking ownership.

Check any publisher's IPRS membership status and ask for references from writers they already work with.

How publishing deals are structured

Most publishing deals combine three variables:

  • Ownership — what percentage of the copyright, if any, the publisher takes
  • Income split — how collected money is divided after the society's own share
  • Term and retention — how long they collect, and how long they keep rights to songs written during the term

Under Section 19 of the Copyright Act, an assignment must be in writing. If the agreement doesn't specify a duration, the Act presumes five years; if it doesn't specify territory, it's presumed to be India; and if the assignee doesn't exercise the rights within one year, the assignment can be deemed to lapse unless the contract says otherwise. These defaults are a safety net, but a well-drafted deal will spell everything out.

Publishing for songwriters who don't perform

Many Indian songwriters write for other artists — film, independent pop, ad jingles, regional releases. For you, publishing is the core of the business:

  • Keep a catalogue spreadsheet: title, co-writers, splits, ISWC if assigned, IPRS work registration, release ISRCs and where it's released.
  • Sign a split sheet at the end of every session — see split sheets and songwriting splits.
  • Register every new work with IPRS once it is released or performed.
  • For commissioned work, read whether you're signing a "work for hire"-style assignment. The 2012 royalty provisos may still protect some royalties, but the details depend on the use and the contract.

Mechanicals and streaming in India

Streaming generates money for both the master and the composition, but the composition side in India often flows through a mix of IPRS licensing and direct deals between labels/publishers and platforms. Independent writers frequently find their composition income from streaming is small or missing — usually because works aren't registered, or because nobody has registered the songs with an admin service for foreign territories. The fix is mostly paperwork: register works, match ISRCs to compositions, and check statements.

FAQs about music publishing

Do I need a publisher? No. Many independent songwriters self-publish and use IPRS plus an admin service. A publisher becomes valuable when they bring sync placements, cuts with other artists or a meaningful advance.

Can a publisher take my royalties forever? Read the term and retention clauses. Indian law restricts waiving certain royalties, but ownership terms can still be long — get legal advice before signing.

What is an ISWC? The International Standard Musical Work Code identifies a composition, just as an ISRC identifies a recording.

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