The Indian Performing Right Society

IPRS (The Indian Performing Right Society Limited) is India's only government-registered copyright society representing authors, composers, and music publishers. Founded in 1969 and headquartered in Mumbai, it licenses the public performance, communication to the public, and digital transmission of musical works, collecting royalties from music users and distributing them to over 20,000 creator and publisher members.

How IPRS Works

IPRS issues blanket licenses to radio stations, television broadcasters, streaming platforms, live event organizers, restaurants, retail stores, and any business that plays music publicly in India. License fees are collected and distributed to members based on usage data gathered from streaming reports, broadcast logs, and live event set lists.

The Government of India renewed IPRS's registration as a Copyright Society on January 21, 2025, with retrospective effect from November 28, 2022. This registration is valid for five years. IPRS operates under the Copyright Act of 1957 and the Copyright Rules of 2013.

Membership is open to authors (lyricists), composers (music directors), and publishers. Writers can apply online through the IPRS website. Once accepted, members receive a unique membership number (IPI number) and can begin registering works for royalty collection.

In FY 2024-25, IPRS recorded its strongest performance to date. Total collections rose 42% to ₹741.6 crore (approximately EUR 80.5 million), while royalty distributions increased 21% to ₹608.8 crore. Streaming revenue alone crossed ₹600 crore, growing 59% year-on-year. A major back payment from a digital platform contributed to this surge.

According to the CISAC Global Collections Report 2025, India's creator revenues grew 40.5% in 2024. Digital income accounted for 82.7% of total collections, the highest digital share among major markets. IPRS ranks as the fourth-largest society in the Asia-Pacific region. India's global collections ranking jumped from 37th to 23rd in five years.

Live and background collections crossed EUR 10 million for the first time, contributing 14% of the market. Public performance revenues rose to ₹101.7 crore. However, broadcast income fell to 2.3% due to deferred payments, and non-compliance from broadcasters and radio networks remains a structural problem.

IPRS has achieved 96% metadata accuracy through its IPRS 2.0 operating system, implemented with cutting-edge technology for copyright management. The organization also runs the KOLAB songwriting residency program and the Soundscapes of India music showcase festival to support creator development.

CEO Rakesh Nigam has emphasized that digital platforms cannot be the sole driver of creator income, urging broadcasters, radio networks, event organizers, and venues to comply with licensing obligations.

Real-World Example

A Bollywood playback singer and composer registers 30 songs with IPRS. A streaming platform like JioSaavn reports 10 million streams of those songs in a quarter. Two FM radio stations play 5 of the songs regularly, and a concert promoter uses IPRS-licensed music at a festival in Mumbai.

IPRS collects royalties from all three sources. The streaming royalties (the largest share, given that digital accounts for 82.7% of collections) are distributed based on stream counts. The radio royalties are distributed based on airplay logs. The live performance royalties are distributed based on set lists submitted by the event organizer.

If the same songs are played on radio in the United Kingdom, IPRS's reciprocal agreement with PRS for Music means PRS collects those royalties and remits them to IPRS, which distributes them to the composer in the next international distribution cycle.

With ₹608.8 crore distributed in FY 2024-25, a composer whose 30 songs generated significant streaming activity and regular radio airplay might receive anywhere from ₹50,000 to ₹10 lakh or more annually, depending on the scale of usage and their registered share of the works.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are an Indian songwriter, composer, or publisher, IPRS is your only domestic option for collecting performance royalties. There is no competing PRO in India. Joining IPRS is not optional if you want to earn royalties from public performances of your music.

Register every composition with IPRS as soon as it is commercially released. Unregistered works earn zero royalties, even if they accumulate millions of streams. Submit correct metadata including ISRC codes, ISWC numbers, and split sheets. IPRS's 96% metadata accuracy rate means accurate registrations are processed efficiently, but errors in your submissions can still delay payments.

India's music market is growing fast (40.5% in 2024), but compliance gaps mean many venues, broadcasters, and event organizers do not pay for music use. This limits the royalty pool. Support IPRS's licensing efforts by reporting unlicensed use of your music and ensuring that venues where you perform hold valid IPRS licenses.

If your music is played internationally, IPRS's CISAC membership and reciprocal agreements with foreign societies mean those royalties flow back to you. The KOLAB residency program and Soundscapes festival offer networking and career development opportunities for members.

Related Resources

• Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) - What a PRO is and how it functions
• Performance Royalties - How performance royalties are generated and collected
• Mechanical Royalties - How mechanical royalties differ from performance royalties
• Blanket License - The licensing model used by IPRS and other PROs
• Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
• IPRS Official Website - Visit IPRS for membership and licensing information
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings