This one is not glamorous, but it affects money. In November 2025 the government changed how music licence fees can be collected in India.
What changed
On 4 November 2025, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry notified the Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2025. The main addition is a new Rule 83A.
As explained in this Mondaq legal analysis and a plain-language explainer on TaxTMI, Rule 83A says licence fees for the public communication of literary works, musical works and sound recordings must be collected through an online payment mechanism set up by the copyright owner or copyright society.
Put simply: cash and untraceable payments for these licences are out.
Key points
- Applies to licence fees for communicating music to the public: broadcast, streaming and public performance
- Payments must be digital and traceable, showing who paid, how much and when
- Existing agreements were given 180 days to comply
- The legal analyses note the Copyright Office can impose penalties of up to ₹50,000 for non-compliance
Who feels it most
Hotels, event companies, radio stations, gyms and wedding venues that pay for music licences. Plus the copyright societies and labels that collect from them.
For independent artists, the direct impact is smaller, but it points in a useful direction: more records of who used what, and who paid for it. Over time, that should make it harder for music to be used without paying, and easier to trace where money went.
Why an independent artist should care
Think of a Rajasthani folk singer whose song is played at hundreds of weddings every season. Or a devotional label whose aartis are played in temples and shops. Licensing for public performance is a separate system from streaming royalties, but both depend on one thing: clear proof of who owns the song.
That proof starts with how you release.
- Register your songs with correct writer and composer names
- Keep your contracts with lyricists and producers in writing
- Make sure your releases carry your label name consistently
- If you are a songwriter, look into copyright society membership for performance royalties
The streaming side
Rule 83A is about public communication licences. Your streaming royalties from Spotify, JioSaavn or YouTube come through your distributor. That is where a transparent statement matters.
RMX Music pays monthly, gives you 95% of royalties and lets you keep 100% ownership of your music. We distribute to 95+ platforms, handle callertunes on Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL, and offer YouTube Content ID and Visual Claims.
The law is moving towards traceable money. Your own release setup should too. Sign up with RMX Music.