What Indian Performing Right Society does

IPRS is a non-profit copyright society established on 23 August 1969 in Mumbai, operating as a Company Limited by Guarantee under the Companies Act, 1956 and registered as a Copyright Society under Chapter VII of the Copyright Act, 1957. It is the sole government-authorized body in India empowered to issue licenses for the public performance, broadcasting, and digital exploitation of musical works and literary music, serving two principal customer groups: (a) members — comprising 20,000+ authors, composers, and music publishers (including major labels such as T-Series, Saregama, and Sony Music) — and (b) commercial music users such as broadcasters, telecom operators, OTT platforms, hotels, malls, live-event organizers, and hospitality venues. The society collects licensing fees on a transaction-based model (e.g., 3% of projected revenue for ticketed live events) and distributes the proceeds to rights-holders, with Rs 210 crores distributed as royalty during the COVID period (April 2020–March 2022) and a further Rs 9.7 crores disbursed as COVID relief to over 3,900 members.

The technology backbone comprises a Writer Portal and Publisher Portal for member onboarding, work registration, and royalty tracking, built in partnership with BackOffice Music Services; a centralized work registration system managing 1.1 million+ registered musical and literary works; and a distribution processing system that matches usage data to member works at scale. The IT function is ISO 27001 certified, and the data infrastructure underpins the society's ability to issue licences, process usage cues, and disburse royalties across public performance, broadcast, and digital channels through a combination of direct sales teams in Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, and Kolkata and an online self-serve licensing portal.

Commercially, IPRS earns its operating revenue primarily as a collective management organization (CMO), retaining a percentage of collections before distributing the remainder to members, while expanding ancillary activities such as awareness campaigns (Credit the Creators, My Music My Rights, Fair Play and Fair Pay), member development programs (Learn and Earn, KOLAB), and international song-camp initiatives (Soundscapes of India). The society is affiliated with CISAC in Paris and holds reciprocal representation agreements with 68 international societies including PRS, ASCAP, BMI, JASRAC, GEMA, and SACEM, collectively providing access to over 4 million global creators. The 2017 governance restructuring under a new Articles of Association equalized representation among authors, composers, and publishers, and the society has recently secured favourable judicial outcomes in the Calcutta High Court (Vodafone Idea caller-tune dispute, May 2026) and Madras High Court (TVK Cultural Academy live-event dispute, April 2026) that reinforce its licensing authority.

Name

Indian Performing Right Society

Legal name

The Indian Performing Right Society Limited

Website

https://iprs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IPRS is India's sole government-authorized music copyright society, issuing public performance, broadcast, and digital licenses and distributing royalties to its 20,000+ members of authors, composers, and publishers representing 1.1 million+ registered works.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Rights Management

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223)

SIC

Patent Owners & Lessors (6794)

akta.pro primary industry

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing) (MPAIABAB), Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL), Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)

Keywords

• Music licensing services
• Copyright royalty collection
• Performing rights society
• Music royalty distribution
• Intellectual property management

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Music Licensing Fees: IPRS collects licensing fees from commercial music users including event organizers, broadcasters, telecom operators, and digital platforms. For live ticketed events, the fee structure is 3% of projected revenue. Fees are collected for various usage categories including public performance, broadcasting, and digital exploitation.
2. Royalty Distribution: IPRS collects royalties from music users and distributes them to members (authors, composers, publishers). The organization distributed royalty amounting to Rs 210 crores. COVID relief payout of Rs 9.7 crores was distributed to over 3900 members during April 2020 to March 2022.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IPRS is India's sole government-authorized music copyright society that issues licenses for the public performance, broadcasting, and digital use of musical and literary works. It collects royalties from commercial music users—including bars, hotels, live events, broadcasters, telecom operators, and OTT platforms—and distributes them to its 20,000+ member authors, composers, and publishers. The organization also manages work registration (1.1 million+ registered works), operates member portals, and represents Indian creators globally through reciprocal agreements with 68 international copyright societies and CISAC affiliation.

Product overview

IPRS is India's sole music copyright society, offering a unified platform for managing music rights through its core products: Writer Portal and Publisher Portal. These member-facing portals enable music creators (authors/composers) and publishers to manage profiles, register works, search repertoire, and track royalty distributions. The organization also operates a comprehensive music licensing platform that issues licenses to commercial music users (bars, hotels, events, broadcasters, digital platforms) and distributes collected royalties to members. Supporting these core functions are various initiatives including Credit The Creators, My Music My Rights, Fair Play and Fair Pay, Her Music, IP HUB, KOLAB, Soundscapes of India, and IPRS Stage—awareness and development programs designed to promote creator rights, gender inclusion, and industry growth. The organization also provides educational resources through its Learn and Earn program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Performance Music License License authorizing commercial music users—bars, pubs, malls, retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, clubs, and live event venues—to play copyrighted Indian musical and literary works in public. Required by Indian copyright law for any commercial public use of registered works.
• Broadcasting Music License License authorizing television channels, radio stations, and broadcasting platforms to use copyrighted Indian musical and literary works in their broadcasts and programming.
• OTT and Digital Music License License authorizing OTT streaming platforms, telecom operators (for caller tunes and ringtones), and other digital service providers to use copyrighted Indian musical and literary works in digital distribution and streaming services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rs 210 crores royalty distributed to members
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Bharat Music Experience (BME)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 January 2026BME, described as India's first fully integrated music ecosystem platform, announced IPRS as a foundational strategic partner. IPRS will serve as a music rights partner for the 3-day annual platform designed to unify India's music industry and accelerate its global positioning. The initiative aims to create a sustainable, connected future for Indian music through business forums, showcases, awards, and cross-sector engagement.
• BIG FMsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 January 2026BIG FM serves as a radio partner for the Bharat Music Experience platform along with IPRS.
• Picture N KraftsupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 January 2026Picture N Kraft serves as a cultural partner for the Bharat Music Experience platform.
• TrinavyaasupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 January 2026Trinavyaa serves as a community and social media partner for the Bharat Music Experience platform.
• Delphics IndiasupportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 January 2026Delphics India serves as a PR partner for the Bharat Music Experience platform.
• BackOffice Music ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationIPRS partnered with BackOffice Music services to provide a world-class Members Portal. The portal allows members to have control over their profile, update their information, and submit new work.
• CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPRS is affiliated to CISAC based in Paris which represents more than 4 million creators worldwide. CISAC is the global network of copyright societies.
• 68 International Copyright SocietiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPRS has Agreements of Reciprocal Representation with similar organizations in more than 50 countries including PRS (UK), ASCAP, BMI (USA), JASRAC (Japan), SOCAN (Canada), GEMA (Germany), SACEM (France), and 61 others. These agreements authorize sister societies to administer the rights of IPRS members in their respective countries, and vice versa.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• JASRAC: Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers — Japan's sole PRO. Directly comparable to IPRS as another single, government-authorized collective management organization in an Asian market with reciprocal agreements through CISAC.
• SACEM: Société des Auteurs, Compositeurs et Éditeurs de Musique — France's PRO. Same operational playbook as IPRS in collective licensing, royalty distribution, and international reciprocal agreements through CISAC.
• ASCAP: American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers — the largest US PRO. Identical operational model to IPRS: performs collective management of public performance rights for musical works on behalf of composers, lyricists, and publishers, with reciprocal agreements through CISAC.
• GEMA: German collecting society for authors of musical works. Functionally comparable to IPRS as a PRO performing collective rights administration in a major European market with global reciprocal representation.
• SOCAN: Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada — Canada's PRO. Directly comparable in mandate, structure, and operations to IPRS, including public performance licensing and reciprocal international agreements.
• BMI: Broadcast Music, Inc. — the second major US PRO. Directly comparable to IPRS in operating a one-stop licensing model for bars, hotels, broadcasters, and digital services, collecting royalties from commercial music users.
• PRS for Music: UK-based PRO that collects and distributes royalties for composers, songwriters, and publishers. Direct functional counterpart to IPRS with similar mandate of licensing music for public performance, broadcasting, and digital use and administering reciprocal agreements internationally.

Others

• CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers): Global network of PROs of which IPRS is an affiliate representing 4M+ creators. Ecosystem counterpart that supports PROs like IPRS with standards, technology infrastructure, and international policy alignment.

Emerging players

• PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited): UK-based neighboring rights organization representing performers and record labels. Comparable as an adjacent collective management organization in the music rights ecosystem, focused on sound recording rights rather than author rights like IPRS.

Regional players

• IPAM (Indian Music Industry / IMI): Trade body for the recorded music industry in India. OTHERS/regional industry ecosystem counterpart that interfaces with IPRS on sound recording rights, contrasting with IPRS's focus on underlying musical/literary compositions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iprsmusic
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IPRSmusic
• Facebookfacebook.com/iprsorg
• Instagraminstagram.com/iprsmusic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iprsmusic

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Indian Performing Right Society