T-Series joins IPRS, Javed Akhtar says it will benefit music industry
Super Cassettes Industries, popularly known in the country as music label T-Series, has joined the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), an umbrella organisation of over 5000 artistes. The music label's presence as a member will significantly benefit authors and music composer members of IPRS, which is the Indian copyright society representing music composers, lyricists and owner publishers of music. It will improve the ease of doing business with numerous music licensees, including audio platforms, telecom companies, broadcasters and other entities, according to a release.
The music company's presence in IPRS will also help establish a single window clearance for underlying works embodied in a sound recording or a music video, the release further said.
Veteran lyricist Javed Akhtar, who is the chairman of IPRS, called it a win-win proposition for both T-Series and the organisation. "Most of the big companies had joined us, except a couple of them. T-Series is huge. In the last 20 years almost 80 per cent of music has gone to them, they are that big. Our negotiations were on, they had certain reservations and even we had," Akhtar told PTI.
He said the strength of IPRS has "increased by a huge leap" with the addition of T-Series.
Prior to T-Series, major music companies Sony Music Entertainment India, Saregama India, Universal Music Publishing, Times Music and Aditya Music became members of the IPRS.
With T-Series also becoming a member, the Bhushan Kumar-led company brings a massive catalogue of over 2,00,000 titles to the IPRS.
These include 50,000 plus music videos and more than 15,000 hours of music, including musical compositions and lyrics forming part of songs and music videos spread across more than 15 Indian languages.
Kumar, chairman and managing director of T-Series, said taking the membership of IPRS was a "logical progression" for the company.
"Copyright is in the heart and soul of what T-Series creates. We took this decision in the interest of the entire music industry. Today the entire industry, creators, music businesses, all united, represent a seamless coalition of stakeholders contributing to our country’s progress and working together in our common interest," Kumar said in a statement.
He stressed that the music label will bring more value to IPRS and its members.
"We look forward to IPRS growing even more with our support in the future so that it can benefit the creator community and the industry even more," he added.
Akhtar said with T-Series coming into IPRS fold, only one music label is left which is yet to join the organisation.
"Now the only company that is still not willing to accept law of the land is YRF. They have their own company, they distribute music on their own. I hope they will also join," he said.
With regards to royalty, Akhtar asserted that things are working out "amicably" with all the major companies that came on board as members of the IPRS.
IPRS is authorised to carry on the business of issuing and granting licenses in respect of musical works and literary works assigned to it by members, as well as to collect and distribute the Authors’ Statutory Royalties, for the exploitation of these works including live performances, or sound recordings.
