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How Asian Indie Labels Can Work With Global Publishers: Practical Steps After the Kobalt–Madverse Deal

aasian

2026-02-13

10 min read

Blueprint for Asian indie labels: negotiate fair global publishing deals after Kobalt–Madverse with practical steps, contract clauses, and operational checklists.

Cut through the noise: a practical blueprint for Asian indie labels after the Kobalt–Madverse deal

Finding a trustworthy international publishing partner is one of the biggest headaches for indie labels and managers across Asia. You face language barriers, fragmented rights systems, unclear royalty flows and the constant fear that a “global” deal will leave your artists underpaid or locked out of local opportunities. The January 2026 Kobalt–Madverse announcement signalled a new window of access — but it also raises a question: how do you turn interest from major publishers into a durable, fair partnership that protects artists’ rights?

Topline: what changed in 2026 and why it matters now

In January 2026 Variety reported that Kobalt partnered with India’s Madverse to extend publishing administration to South Asian independents. That deal is part of a broader trend: global publishers are actively courting Asia to capture fast-growing streaming, sync and short-form markets. Late 2025 and early 2026 saw increased investment by global publishers and greater emphasis on transparent royalty administration, metadata hygiene and local sub-publishing capabilities.

For indie labels, that means opportunity plus risk. The opportunity: access to better royalty collection, global sync pitching and data-driven placements. The risk: signing away long-term rights, poor recoupment terms, or losing control of artist relationships.

Executive summary — the blueprint in one paragraph

Start by auditing your catalogue and rights; choose the right partnership model (administration, co-publishing, or sub-publishing); prepare a metadata-led pitch kit; negotiate key clauses (territory, fee, audit, advances, termination, and moral rights); ensure robust reporting and audit rights; and build an operational plan for post-deal metadata, splits, and local collecting society interactions. Use the Kobalt–Madverse deal as proof that publishers will partner — but don’t trade leverage for long-term artist disadvantage.

Step 1 — Prepare: catalogue audit, rights map and red flags

What to audit

Ownership chain: confirm who owns writer shares, publisher shares, and any third-party samples or splits.
Existing agreements: list distribution, sync, previous publishing or administration contracts, and co-writes with foreign songwriters.
Performing & mechanical rights: track registrations with local collecting societies (e.g., JASRAC, KOMCA, IPRS and others) and any direct deals with DSPs.
Metadata completeness: ISRC, ISWC, writer IPI/CAE, split sheets for every track.

Red flags: missing split sheets, pre-existing exclusive publisher deals, unresolved sample clearances, or songs registered incorrectly with societies. These will weaken your negotiating position.

Step 2 — Choose the partnership model that fits your strategy

Not every publisher relationship is the same. Pick a model that matches your long-term goals.

Common models

Administration deal — publisher administers the publisher share for a fee (typically 10–20% worldwide). Good if you want to retain ownership and control.
Co-publishing / publishing split — you split the publisher share with the partner (e.g., 50/50), often with a higher level of service and an advance. Best for labels seeking investment and sync support.
Sub-publishing / territory agreements — a foreign publisher licenses local representation in specific territories. Useful for targeted collection in territories with complex societies.
Full catalog acquisition — selling your catalogue outright. This gives immediate capital but relinquishes future upside.

Tip: For most Asian indie labels, an administration deal with strong audit, reporting and termination rights preserves flexibility while delivering improved collection. The Kobalt–Madverse model is an example of global admin pathways opening to regional ecosystems.

Step 3 — Build a pitch kit that publishers actually use

Publishers evaluate deals on catalog health and revenue potential. Give them the data they need.

Must-have items in your pitch kit

Catalog inventory with streaming, download and sync revenues for the past 24 months.
Metadata spreadsheet: track title, writers, splits, ISRC, ISWC, writer IPIs, and registration status.
Local market performance: playlist placements, radio spins, YouTube views, and short-form virality evidence.
A clear ask: state whether you want admin-only, co-pub, sub-pub or an equity-style partnership.
Artist profiles and licensing-ready stems for sync pitching.

Step 4 — Negotiation checklist: the clauses that matter

When you get to terms, focus on clauses that protect artists and future income.

Key contractual points

Term & territory: prefer time-limited admin terms (3–5 years) with renewal options. Avoid indefinite or lifetime terms.
Fee structure: admin fees typically range 10–20% of gross publisher income; negotiate lower rates for digital streaming and for territories you can collect yourself.
Advance & recoupment: if there's an advance, clarify recoupment from publisher share only — not writer share — and define how recoupment is reported.
Audit & reporting: require quarterly statements, itemised income lines and at least one audit per year with costs borne by the publisher if errors exceed a tolerance threshold (e.g., 5%).
Metadata obligations: require publisher to maintain and update ISWC/ISRC and register new works with receiving societies within specific timeframes (e.g., 30–60 days).
Moral rights & approvals: protect artists with approval rights for sync uses above a value threshold and restrictions on politically or morally questionable placements.
Termination & reversion: define trigger events (material breach, non-payment, failure to register) that allow early termination and automatic reversion of admin control.
Sub-licensing & assignment: limit the publisher’s ability to assign or sublicense without your consent, or require notice and standard sub-licensing splits.

Step 5 — Protect artist rights: practical contract language and red lines

Use clear language rather than vague promises.

Sample protections (non-legal language — get counsel)

“Publisher shall not seek or claim any writer share; publisher rights shall be limited to administration of publisher’s share only.”
“All advances are recoupable solely from publisher’s share; writer’s share remains non-recoupable.”
“Publisher must secure written consent from the label and the named writer before approving any sync or master use exceeding USD X.”
“Upon termination for any reason, Publisher shall transfer all data, registrations and uncollected funds within 60 days and provide a full reconciliation.”

Red lines: never sign away writer shares without receiving commensurate value and clear, irrevocable benefits for your artists. Be cautious of “evergreen” clauses that auto-renew without renegotiation.

Step 6 — Metadata, splits and the tech stack: get operationally ready

Good deals fail when data is poor. Publishers will often insist they can’t collect what’s not registered properly. Improve your data and workflows before signing.

Operational checklist

Standardise split sheets and store them in a central, versioned system (e.g., Google Drive + hashed file names).
Ensure every release has ISRCs and that compositions have ISWCs or equivalent identifiers; consider automating metadata extraction where possible.
Integrate with a rights management tool or simple CMDB to track registrations, renewals and sync licenses — see practical guides on hybrid edge workflows for ideas on distributed tooling and sync.
Keep a local ledger of direct deals and neighboring rights claims to reconcile with publisher statements.

Step 7 — Collecting societies and local friction points

Asia has a patchwork of societies and collection systems. Publishers often use their global network to access harder-to-reach revenue, but you should still register works locally.

Register writers and works with the relevant local society (e.g., JASRAC in Japan, KOMCA in Korea, IPRS in India) as soon as possible.
Track reciprocal agreements: not all societies have the same reciprocal relationships; verify where the publisher will collect directly versus where sub-publishers act locally.
Neighboring rights: ensure performers and producers are registered for performance collections where applicable; these are frequently overlooked revenue streams in Asia.

Step 8 — Audits, transparency and dispute avoidance

Build regular checks into the contract and the relationship.

Require quarterly statements with drill-down capability (track income by ISRC/ISWC).
Include an independent audit clause with reasonable timing and scope; limit costs if the publisher is found to have underpaid beyond an agreed threshold.
Agree escalation paths for disputes — mediation first, then arbitration in a mutually acceptable seat.

Step 9 — Negotiation tactics: timing, leverage and red-team prep

Negotiation is as much preparation as it is talk. Use data, deadlines and alternative options to create leverage.

Practical tactics

Lead with performance data: present streaming and sync stats for top 10 tracks, not just promises.
Create competitive tension: approach 2–3 publishers and ask for indicative offers within a set period.
Use staged commitments: offer a pilot admin period for a specific territory or set of songs to prove value before committing the full catalog.
Leverage local success: highlight playlist placement, brand partnerships and regional sync use to show repeatable earning potential.
Bring lawyers in early to flag deal-breakers so you don’t waste time on non-starters.

Step 10 — After the deal: operational handover and growth plan

Signing is the start of the work. Plan the handover and a growth roadmap.

Create a 60–90 day joint implementation plan: metadata transfers, society registrations, reporting cadence and sync pipelines.
Agree KPI targets for the first year (e.g., % lift in collections, number of sync pitches, new territories collected).
Set quarterly commercial reviews and a schedule for joint prospecting for sync and brand opportunities.

Case study: a hypothetical Asian indie label leverage-play

Imagine a Singapore label with a 120-track catalog performing strongly on regional playlists and short-form viral hits. They opt for a 3-year admin deal with a global publisher with a targeted advance and a lower admin fee in Southeast Asia. The label stipulates strict metadata SLAs, an audit clause, and sync approval rights for placements above USD 10,000. Within 12 months, the publisher secures several international syncs and identifies unpaid neighboring rights in two countries, increasing collections by 40%. At the 18-month review, the label uses this performance to renegotiate a renewal with a step-down admin fee and stronger co-publishing terms on newly released material.

Trends to watch in 2026 and beyond

Three developments will shape publishing partnerships in 2026:

AI and metadata: publishers will demand cleaner metadata because AI-driven discovery amplifies errors; labels must invest in data hygiene.
Direct-to-platform licensing: DSPs and short-form platforms continue experimenting with direct licensing, reducing friction for some revenues but increasing complexity for rights allocation.
Transparency & blockchain pilots: while blockchain hasn’t replaced traditional admin, pilots for transparent split distribution and immutable split documentation are maturing and could become a negotiation lever.

Final checklist — what to do this quarter

Complete a full catalogue audit and fix the top 25% of metadata errors.
Draft a one-page commercial brief for publishers (top tracks, recent revenues, clear ask).
Identify 2–3 publishers (or global admins) and request indicative terms for a pilot program.
Get legal counsel to review termination, audit and advance recoupment clauses before offers are made binding.
Register all active writers with their local societies and confirm ISWC/ISRC registrations for recent releases.

Variety’s January 2026 coverage of the Kobalt–Madverse partnership underlined a market shift: global publishers are now actively pursuing regional indie ecosystems — but preparation and contract discipline will determine who wins.

Closing: turn opportunity into sustainable value

The Kobalt–Madverse deal is a signal, not a template. Asian indie labels and managers should treat global offers as the beginning of a commercial relationship that must be scoped, measured and built on data. Use negotiation to secure transparency, protect artist rights and lock in clear operational commitments. With the right preparation — a clean catalogue, smart deal structures and enforceable audit and reversion rights — indie labels can keep control, unlock international revenue and scale local artists globally.

Actionable next step

Start today: run the 30-minute catalogue health checklist, prepare your one-page commercial brief, and reach out to two global publishers for pilot terms. If you want a ready-made negotiation checklist and template clause pack tailored for Asian labels, subscribe to our industry briefing or contact our editorial team at asian.live for a hands-on review.

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