iWorld
IPRS grants music license to Google for India
MUMBAI: The Indian Performing Right Society Limited (IPRS) has granted a license to Google, enabling the company to utilise IPRS members’ Indian works repertoire in India across YouTube and related services.
IPRS is the registered copyright society in India authorised to carry out the copyright business in respect of musical works and literary works (lyrics), associated with musical works and members comprising of author (lyricists), music Composers and music publishers.
IPRS CEO Rakesh Nigam stated, “The IPRS agreement with Google is nothing short of historic. IPRS and its members will benefit greatly from the arrangement with Google. IPRS licensing reach has significantly increased as a registered copyright society and its mandate to function efficiently and transparently vis-à-vis licensees, members and the public. This is another step to ensure IPRS’ standing as the preeminent copyright society in India”
YouTube global head of music licensing Christophe Muller said, “This is yet another step in YouTube’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that writers, composers and publishers continue to be paid fairly, and that our users are able to enjoy their favorite songs and discover new music on YouTube. We’re extremely pleased to have reached this important agreement with IPRS that will bring more value to songwriters and artists, and deliver an incredible experience to music fans in India.”
Saregama India Ltd CEO IPRS director Vikram Mehra said, “This is an extremely positive development. The deal between IPRS and Google for its YouTube and other related services will surely strengthen the copyright ecosystem in India. Indian Artistes will recognise value from the exploitation of their creations and this arrangement will yield more value for all IPRS members.”
IPRS chairman Javed Akhtar said, “The IPRS-Google agreement is a historic milestone for Indian authors and music composers as well as music publishers. I congratulate and thank Google for backing Indian artistes, music publishers and the creative fraternity in such a strong way in India. This is the beginning of a very strong relationship with Google. IPRS is determined to ensure that these relationship augers well and proves beneficial to the creative fraternity in India. YouTube has a strong and pioneering role to play in encouraging creators and connecting them with markets and users. This deal between IPRS and Google for its YouTube and other related services will provide benefits to creators and members of IPRS in a tangible and meaningful way.”
iWorld
Epic Company launches unified Epic Studio for films and OTT
Vivek Krishnani to head films business; Samar Khan leads OTT & Television.
MUMBAI: Epic just merged its creative superheroes under one cape because when films and OTT need to fight for attention together, you don’t keep them in separate universes. The Epic Company has launched Epic Studio, a next-generation creative and production powerhouse that unites Juggernaut Productions and Movieverse Studio under a single banner. The move creates a streamlined, scalable platform for premium storytelling across theatrical films, OTT originals, television, digital-first formats and branded content.
Vivek Krishnani has been appointed chief executive officer, Epic Studio (Films), overseeing the theatrical and film business with a focus on culturally resonant narratives across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Gujarati and Malayalam cinema. Samar Khan continues as chief executive officer, Epic Studio (OTT & Television) and retains his role as chief content officer for Docubay and Epic On.
The Epic Company managing director Aditya Pittie said, “Epic Studio brings together our entire creative ecosystem under one unified studio vision. This is not just an integration of verticals, but the creation of a collaborative environment where writers, filmmakers, creators, and brand partners can seamlessly develop and scale stories across formats and screens.”
Vivek Krishnani added, “We are building an audience-focused mainstream film studio committed to delivering fresh, engaging, and innovative stories for both theatrical and streaming platforms.”
Samar Khan commented, “This alignment allows us to approach storytelling with a unified studio mindset. We are building IP under one creative umbrella, with scale and longevity in mind from inception.”
The unified structure eliminates silos, enabling ideas to flow fluidly from concept to screen while adapting to evolving audience behaviour. Epic Studio positions itself as a creator-led ecosystem championing purposeful, resonant storytelling with commercial strength.
In an entertainment landscape where stories now leap between screens faster than plot twists, Epic isn’t just building a studio, it’s crafting a single launchpad where every tale gets the best shot at soaring across every platform.
