The Indian Singers’ and Musicians’ Rights Association (ISAMRA) participated in the insightful symposium “Music Copyrights: Royalties, Rights & AI – The Road Ahead” at the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC), bringing together leading voices from India’s music and copyright ecosystem to discuss the future of creators’ rights in an evolving digital era.
The symposium featured Padma Shri Anup Jalota, Rakesh Nigam, Sanjay Tandon, Atul Churamani and moderator Dr. Ratish Tagde. The panel engaged in an interactive discussion on music copyrights, royalty mechanisms, the role of collective management organisations such as IPRS and ISAMRA, creator-friendly provisions under the Indian Copyright Act, international copyright practices and the opportunities and challenges presented by Artificial Intelligence.
During the discussion, Rakesh Nigam clarified that IPRS regularly conducts awareness programmes and outreach initiatives to educate composers, lyricists and music creators about their legal rights, royalty entitlements and the importance of copyright protection. He emphasised that awareness among creators is essential to ensure they receive the benefits they are legally entitled to.
Highlighting the growing importance of performers’ rights, Sanjay Tandon said ISAMRA has now distributed nearly ₹100 crore in royalties to singers and musicians. He also pointed out that ISAMRA’s work extends far beyond India, having signed reciprocal agreements with 19 performers’ rights societies across the world. These agreements enable Indian performers to receive royalties from the international use of their performances while also ensuring foreign performers receive royalties for the use of their work in India, strengthening India’s presence in the global copyright ecosystem.
The discussion also focused on the growing influence of Artificial Intelligence on the music industry. The panellists agreed that while AI presents exciting creative opportunities, it also raises important questions regarding ownership, consent, attribution and fair remuneration for creators and performers. They stressed that technology must complement creativity rather than undermine the rights of those whose talent forms the foundation of the music industry.
Padma Shri Anup Jalota shared his perspective on the timeless value of original creativity and emphasised the need to preserve the dignity and rights of artists in an era of rapid technological change. Atul Churamani spoke about the evolving business of music, digital consumption patterns and the need for continuous adaptation while ensuring that creators remain at the centre of the industry’s growth.
Moderating the discussion, Dr. Ratish Tagde guided an engaging conversation that explored legal, creative and commercial aspects of the music business, encouraging interaction between the speakers and the audience.
ISAMRA expressed its sincere gratitude to Ms. Leena Diviyanathan and the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre for creating an important platform for dialogue, and to Dr. Ratish Tagde for moderating the session with remarkable insight and balance.
The symposium concluded with a strong consensus that greater awareness, stronger collective rights management, international collaboration and balanced regulation of emerging technologies will be crucial in safeguarding the future of India’s music creators and performers.
