Music royaltiesPublishingGuide

Royalty Basics for South Asian Musicians: What Changes With Global Admin Partners

aasian

2026-02-01

10 min read

How Kobalt–Madverse reshapes royalty flows for South Asian musicians — practical steps to secure metadata, register rights and negotiate admin deals in 2026.

Feeling lost in royalty paperwork and cross-border payments? You're not alone — South Asian creators face fragmented collection systems, opaque splits and slow payouts. The Kobalt–Madverse tie-up (announced Jan 2026) is a big example of how global admin partnerships can change the way publishing income reaches regional musicians — but it’s not all simple luck.

This guide breaks down the practical basics of music royalties, the meaning of collection territories, and exactly how an international publishing-administration partnership like Kobalt–Madverse can both simplify and complicate income for South Asian creators in 2026. Expect concrete steps you can use this month — from metadata fixes to negotiation points when you sign an admin deal.

The 2026 context: why now matters

Streaming penetration across South Asia surged between 2023–2025; by late 2025 platforms and local OTT series were licensing more regional music than ever. Major global publishing admins moved aggressively into regional markets in late 2025 and early 2026 to capture publishing revenue and sync opportunities. One headline move was Kobalt’s partnership with Madverse — designed to open Kobalt’s collection network to Madverse’s independent roster.

Kobalt partnered with India’s Madverse to give independent songwriters, composers and producers access to Kobalt’s publishing administration network (Variety, Jan 2026).

That trend matters for two reasons: more international plays mean more money — but only if the plays are correctly tracked, registered and routed through effective collection channels. And global admins bring technology and territory access that many local companies still lack.

Quick primer: the main royalty types South Asian creators should track

Instead of a textbook definition, think of royalties as income streams with different collectors, rules and timing. Here are the core categories that will appear on your statements:

Performance royalties

Collected when a composition is publicly performed or broadcast — including radio, TV, venues, bars and many non-interactive digital services. These are normally collected by performing-rights organizations (PROs) or collective management organizations (CMOs) and distributed to songwriters and publishers.

Mechanical royalties

Generated when a composition is reproduced — physical sales, downloads and interactive streaming (Spotify, Apple Music). In the U.S., the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) handles some digital mechanicals; elsewhere, publishers or local collecting societies manage mechanicals.

Paid to performers and recording rightsholders (usually labels) for public performances and broadcasts of sound recordings. These are distinct from publishing/performance royalties and are often collected by different societies (SoundExchange in the U.S., PPL and equivalents in other countries).

Synchronization (sync) fees

One-off or licensing fees for using music in film, TV, ads or games. Sync opportunities can include separate publishing and master use licenses; admin partnerships can help surface sync opportunities but they’ve historically required active pitching.

Print and other specialized income

Sheet music, sample clearances and new AI-use licensing fees. As AI-generated music and sample-heavy projects increase in 2025–2026, expect new contract clauses and licensing methods.

Collection territories — what creators must understand

Territories determine who collects which royalties and when. A play in Tokyo is collected differently from a radio play in Karachi or a sync on a U.S. streaming series. Important practical points:

Collection is country-by-country: Each country has its own CMOs or collection infrastructure (or none at all).
Reciprocity networks: CMOs often have reciprocal agreements that pass collections across borders to the rights owner’s admin or publisher.
Direct deals matter: Global admins like Kobalt often maintain direct relationships with DSPs and local CMOs to speed up detection and payment in many territories.
Blind spots exist: Some territories have poor reporting. For South Asian creators, signals from local digital platforms and regional broadcasters are improving but still uneven.

Example: how a play in Europe reaches a South Asian composer

If your song is streamed in Germany, GEMA (Germany’s CMO) collects performance royalties and passes them to your publisher/admin (directly or via reciprocal partners). If Kobalt is your publisher/admin, their local relationships and reporting dashboards and reporting tools will attempt to identify and route that income back to you faster than a smaller local company with no direct foothold in Germany.

How global admin partnerships simplify income — the upside

When a global admin (Kobalt) partners with a regional company (Madverse), the following practical benefits often accrue for creators:

Broader territory reach: You gain access to collection networks in territories where the regional partner lacked presence.
Faster detection and payment: Global admins invest in automated matching, ISWC/ISRC reconciliation and reporting dashboards — reducing undetected plays and balancing lead times.
Better metadata management: Admins enforce strict metadata and ISWC/ISRC practices that increase accurate routing of royalties.
More sync opportunities: Large publishers have in-house sync teams and pitch desks for films and global campaigns.
Consolidated reporting: One dashboard for global income (instead of dozens of local statements) simplifies taxes and planning; modern consolidated reporting is a major uplift.

How these partnerships can complicate income — the trade-offs

Global reach comes with strings. Be prepared for:

Fees and splits: Administration fees, sub-publishing splits, collection society deductions and potential introduction fees can reduce your net. Always get fee schedules in writing.
Less local control: Working via a global partner can mean longer negotiation chains, less ability to localize licensing deals, or automated decisions that ignore unique local context.
Contract complexity: Global admin contracts may include clauses about advances, recoupment, audit windows and duration that differ from local expectations.
Opaque sub-publishing arrangements: Income originating in a territory might be subject to a sub-publisher cut before it reaches you.
Potential conflicts of interest: A global admin working with many regional partners could prioritize catalogues that generate higher immediate revenue.

What the Kobalt–Madverse partnership means in practice for South Asian musicians

Based on the Jan 2026 announcement and the broader trend of global admins entering emerging markets, practical implications include:

Access to Kobalt’s admin network: Madverse artists can expect collection in more territories and access to Kobalt’s reporting tech.
Potential for faster global payouts: Centralised processing and detection tools reduce lost or delayed claims in many markets.
Increased competition for sync and playlist placements: Global pitching power may surface opportunities, but expect more competition as catalogs are aggregated.
Contracts to read carefully: Madverse creators should compare pre- and post-partnership admin terms — especially fees, duration and recoupment rules.

Practical checklist: what to do today (actionable steps)

Whether you’re independent, with Madverse, or negotiating with a global admin, follow this short checklist to protect and grow income:

Audit your catalogue: Ensure every track has correct metadata: composer/lyricist names, split percentages, ISWC and ISRC codes, publisher name and songwriter IPI numbers.
Register with the right CMOs: In India, check registrations with local collecting bodies applicable to your rights (IPRS, PPL India — verify current names and rules). Also register with your local PRO and consider representation in major markets (ASCAP/BMI/PRS/SESAC) via your publisher.
Secure split sheets: For collaborations, keep written split agreements ready to upload to admins — disputes over splits are the most common reason collections are delayed.
Read the admin contract: Negotiate fee rates, territory coverage, audit rights and termination terms. Ask about sub-publisher fees and how sync income is divided.
Check reporting frequency & transparency: Monthly statements, a live dashboard, and CSV export options are signs of a modern admin. If a partner can’t show this, flag it.
Optimize metadata: Fix typos, consistent artist naming, and accurate credits. Metadata errors are the top cause of lost royalties.
Track territory performance: Use streaming analytics to see where plays originate. Prioritize registering works and seeking representation in the high-performing territories.
Ask about advances and recoupment: If you accept an advance, understand how it’s recouped and over what territory incomes will be applied.
Plan for neighboring rights: If you’re a performer as well as a songwriter, ensure your performance rights and neighboring rights are claimed through appropriate societies.

Negotiation tips when you’re offered a global-admin deal

Do not sign based on buzz alone. Here are conversation points that directly affect your monthly cashflow:

Ask for a clear fee schedule and which income streams attract the fee (publishing vs. neighboring rights vs. sync).
Negotiate minimum territory coverage or the right to opt out of specific territories where the sub-publisher takes a heavy cut.
Insist on quarterly reporting and real-time dashboard access.
Include a clause for periodic audits, with a commitment that audit costs will be shared if significant discrepancies are found.
Clarify who negotiates sync deals — your local team or the global partner — and how split negotiations are handled for master vs. publishing fees.

Case study (short): Two scenarios for the same Delhi composer

Scenario A — Local-only distributor/publisher: The composer signs with a local company that knows the market. It secures local radio plays and smaller syncs, but struggles to collect in Japan, Germany and the U.S. Reporting is monthly but lacks territory breakdowns. Net global income is limited by collection gaps.

Scenario B — Madverse signs the composer, then Madverse’s partnership with Kobalt routes the composer’s catalogue into Kobalt’s admin network. Now European and North American plays get detected and matched faster. The composer sees increased foreign collections and new sync outreach. However, the composer must accept an admin fee and a small sub-publishing cut for certain territories.

Net result: Scenario B likely yields higher aggregated global income, but the composer must be disciplined about contract terms to ensure the trade-off is worth it.

2026 trends and short-term predictions

Watch these developments through 2026 — they shape how royalties will flow to South Asian creators:

Further admin consolidation: More global firms will partner with or acquire regional players to access catalogues and DSP data.
Better detection via AI: Machine matching and fingerprinting will reduce unclaimed royalties, but creators must still maintain clean metadata.
New licensing models for AI use: Expect specific clauses and possibly new revenue streams for uses of your works in generative models.
Regional DSPs improve reporting: Local streaming services in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia are investing in better play reporting due to advertiser and licensing pressures.
Growth in sync demand for local content: Global OTT platforms are commissioning more regional shows and prefer local music — creating new sync windows for South Asian creators.

Final practical checklist (3 immediate actions)

Today: export your catalogue, confirm ISWC/ISRCs and correct all metadata errors.
This week: request fee schedules and territory lists in writing from any admin or publisher offering a deal.
This month: register (or re-confirm registration) with your local PRO and ensure your publisher has your up-to-date splits and IPIs.

Parting advice — protect your upside

Global admin partnerships like Kobalt–Madverse can be transformational if you treat them as distribution + administration deals, not magic bullets. They open territory access and technology, but any uplift must be weighed against fees, control and contract length. In 2026, the smart creator combines local knowledge with global scale — keep your metadata tight, read every clause, and demand transparent reporting.

Want a free quick audit checklist? Download or copy the 10-point metadata and registration checklist to run across your catalogue. If you’re evaluating a Kobalt–Madverse-style deal, use the negotiation script in the checklist to clarify fees and territory splits before you sign.

Call to action

Ready to protect and grow your publishing income? Start with a catalogue audit this week. If you’re evaluating a global admin offer, send us the key contract points (anonymized) and we’ll highlight what to negotiate — join our mailing list for practical templates and updates on admin partnerships in South Asia.

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Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.