Music Royalty

Friends recently you must have seen a news item regarding Chitra Singh, wife of singer late Jagjit Singh, complaining to Enforcement Directorate (ED) that Music Cos are illegally giving permission to third parties for songs rendered by her late husband. Similar complain was also lodged by classical singer Shobha Mudgal. Let us see what is the real issue:

1. The Indian performing Right Society (IPRS) is supposed to issue licences to user of music and collect royalties from them, for and on behalf of its members, who are authors, composers , singers and publishers of music. They are later suppose to give this royalty to the members as per agreement listed with them. In 2007 IPRS authorised The Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) to issue licences to TV broadcasters on their behalf, PPL had to pay royalty to IPRS. The rights granted by IPRS were meant for PPL to exercise but PPL started transferring the rights to third party, which had no connection with IPRS. The PPL exclusively control public performance rights and radio broadcasting rights of more than 7 lakhs songs of its more than 250 members, who are music labels.

2. The ED raided the offices of IPRS and PPL, and booked them for the economic offences for allegedly not paying royalty to lyricist and composers. The ED issued a statement that the relevant records from 2012 scanned by them show that royalties of around Rs 2500 crores were collected by IPRS and PPL but were not distributed as per the agreements registered by them. The ED further suspects that there might be case of money laundering and are probing further.As per the amendment in copyright act done in 2012, 50% of the royalty collected by music companies should be distributed to lyricist and music directors.

3. So there has been a organised loot by IPRS, PPL and Music label owners, as writers and composers have to depend upon these companies to get their royalty amount. Playback Singers have separate contract for the royalty or some singers charge one time fees and waive off royalty clause. Earlier film producers used to pay composer, singers and lyricist and then sell the music rights to Music companies, who will retain sole copyright on the sales and digital rights and earn life time royalties.

4. This music royalty issue was going on for decades and with 2012 amendment some beginning was made, but the music companies and other people associated with them are trying to cheat the deserving music composers and lyricist. Friends you must have noticed that all the old timer music directors, singers and lyricist are hardly heard now a days , because producers and music companies use new lyricist , singers and composers and force them to waive off the royalty clause. Presently in film music you will find each song is composed by different composer in films , as most of the films will have multiple music composers.

5. From 2006 music composer AR Rahman insisted on a clause in his contract that he would retain the rights over his songs and he he refuses to compose the music if producer does not agree for this clause. Most of the earlier famous singers like Sonu Nigam, Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurthy are hardly heard now a days because of royalty issue.

In my opinion these money minded music companies are killing the hindi film music, which is considered to be the most popular music in India. Now a days when you come out of cinema hall you hardly remember the music or songs of the film. How many people remember the music of award winning films like Barfi, Roy, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil etc, you might remember one or two songs but not all the songs from the film. Compared this with the music of 50s, 60s, 70s when each and every song of the hit films are still remembered and even they are being heard today on FM channels and music channels on TV.

So in the the end the greed by music companies have ruined the great music market.

In the end what you say my friends.
Awaiting for your feed backs and comments