I hear music every time I eat out.
It plays in restaurants, cafes, and hotels.
Often, it is played without permission.
The composers of those songs earn no royalty.
That is not fair.
At the same time, AI is becoming louder.
Many creators are worried. They fear their work is used in AI models without consent or credit.
These are two major cracks in the income streams of creators.
What Is Happening Now
People are finally paying attention to non digital breaches.
Music labels are taking legal action.
They are targeting hotels, restaurants, and event organisers who use music without licenses.
The financial loss is huge.
Industry reports indicate India loses ₹8,000 to 10,000 crore each year to unlicensed music use.
Brands use music in ads and social media without proper licensing.
Creators lose out.
Calls for AI transparency are growing.
At the recent All About Music conference, the Indian Music Industry pushed for new rules.
They want disclosure laws that force AI companies to reveal if they use copyrighted music for training.
The hardest hit are often the unseen creators.
Session musicians, backing vocalists, and instrumentalists are regularly left out of metadata.
Their work is essential to hit songs, but they remain unpaid and uncredited.
This is a long standing injustice.
Why This Matters Everywhere
Globally, the streaming market is mature.
The new battles are over offline rights enforcement and AI fairness.
India is still building this infrastructure.
Offline music use is everywhere, but it exists in a legal grey area.
If creators are not registered, or if reporting is weak, they miss out on royalties.
AI has similar problems.
When AI models use content without permission, creators lose control and income.
What You Can Do Now
If you are a creator, label, or author, here is what you should do.
Register your works as early as possible.
Every song and every instrumental.
Make sure your performing rights organisation knows who you are.
Keep an eye on offline venues.
Find out who is playing your music and where.
Demand proper licensing.
Ask for transparency around AI.
If a tool uses generative AI, ask how your content may be involved.
Keep your metadata clean.
Document authorship and ownership clearly.
Sign contracts that cover sync rights, AI use, and offline rights.
What To Be Careful Of
Do not give away too many rights in your contracts.
Read license terms carefully, especially for offline use.
Ensure publishers and labels are transparent about revenue sharing.
Also, keep an eye on new regulations.
Government policy around licensing and AI transparency will change the industry.
Protecting Your Value
Offline music use and AI transparency are two major gaps in how creators earn.
They are connected.
Both require clarity, good metadata, and proactive creators.
If you wait for the rules to change, you may lose revenue.
Prepare now.
Make sure your rights are protected.
When India’s systems catch up, you will be ready to collect what you deserve.
Leave a Reply