Every AI music tool that can spit out a "Bhojpuri style song in 30 seconds" learned from somewhere. The question is whether the people who made the original songs get paid. India's commerce ministry has now put a proposal on the table.
What happened
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) set up an eight-member committee on 28 April 2025 to look at whether Indian copyright law can handle generative AI. In December 2025 it published Part 1 of a working paper. The Press Information Bureau release explains the main idea, and the full working paper is on DPIIT's site.
The proposed "hybrid model"
The committee looked at the usual options, such as blanket exemptions for AI training and opt-out systems, and said none of them fit well. Instead, it proposed:
- AI developers get a blanket licence to use all lawfully accessed content for training, without negotiating with each owner
- Royalties become payable only when the AI tool is commercialised
- Rates are set by a government-appointed committee, open to judicial review
- A central body collects and distributes the money
The working paper also says non-members could still receive royalties if they register for this purpose.
Important: this is not law yet
It is a working paper for discussion. Nothing has changed for your songs today. Rules could be different by the time anything is passed.
Why artists should pay attention
If something like this becomes law, a few things will matter a lot:
- Proof of ownership. Money from a central pool would go to registered rights holders. If your songs are scattered, unregistered or released under different names, you could miss out.
- Clean metadata. A Punjabi artist who released 30 songs under three spellings of their name will have a harder time showing what belongs to them.
- Registrations. The paper mentions copyright societies and registration. Know which ones you belong to.
Meanwhile, the platforms are acting
Streaming platforms have started writing their own AI rules. Spotify, for example, tightened its policy on AI voice clones and spam uploads in 2025. So even before India's law changes, honest human-made music is getting more protection on the apps.
What you can do now
- Release under one consistent artist name
- Keep written agreements with your lyricist, composer and producer
- Keep your own masters safe and backed up
- Use a distributor that leaves ownership with you
RMX Music lets you keep 100% ownership of your music and 95% of royalties, paid monthly. We distribute to 95+ platforms in every Indian regional language and offer YouTube Content ID and Visual Claims to track reuse of your songs.
When the AI royalty question gets settled, you want your catalogue ready. Sign up with RMX Music.