Music and Youth
Kobalt becomes the first international publisher to sign with IPRS
Mumbai: Indian Performing Right Society Limited (IPRS), the copyright society in India, has announced its association with international music publisher Kobalt.
Kobalt is the first international publisher to sign with IPRS since its re-admittance into the International Confederation of Authors and Composers Societies (CISAC) as a full member in December 2018. The company has entered the Indian music publishing market via a sub-publishing deal with Turnkey Music & Publishing Pvt Ltd.
IPRS will administer both the performing and mechanical rights of the international catalogues signed to it, which means that all rights licensed to audio streaming services, FM and AM radio, and public performance can be licensed in totality. For synchronisation licenses to television and OTT audio-visual platforms, the publishers will continue to issue licenses, the organisation said in a statement on Monday.
Speaking on the development, Turnkey Music & Publishing Pvt Ltd’s MD, which represents Kobalt’s catalogue in India, Atul Churamani, said, “This has taken a long time coming and we are delighted that finally the IPRS is administering the international works we represent for India. You can’t be a publisher of foreign works in any country and not be a part of the performing rights society. This association will open up revenue streams for the Kobalt, Fairwood, and other catalogues that we represent.”
IPRS CEO Rakesh Nigam said, “We are very glad to have an international publisher like Kobalt onboard. With international publishers joining us it would help us enhance the valuation for all the stakeholders, including them. The streaming platforms have witnessed an upsurge in the consumption of international content. With associations similar to the one we have entered into with Kobalt, IPRS will now be able to derive the desired value for the international works in India as so far we haven’t been licensed to do so” he further added “We are open for negotiations with publishers to suit the needs. IPRS would like to sit across the table, come to an agreement and then make the necessary adjustments or changes as required.”
Kobalt Music Publishing Limited represents over 25,000 songwriters, 600 publishers, and 20,000 independent artists like Dua Lipa, The Weekend, Marshmello, Diplo, Childish Gambino, Dave Grohl, the Foo Fighters, Enrique Iglesias, Lauv, Pitbull, and Lewis Capaldi as well as legends like Paul Mc. Cartney, Elvis Presley, Bob Marley, Stevie Nicks, and Max Martin.
MUMBAI: Mumbai is about to witness something it has never seen before. The Global Youth Festival arrives on 6-7 December at Jio World Garden with 15,000 attendees and 60-plus experiences sprawled across six sprawling arenas. On its sixth edition, this is no ordinary jamboree—it is a carefully orchestrated collision of wellness, adventure, arts, music, yoga and social change.
Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis will throw open the proceedings with a landmark ceremony, signalling the state’s backing for a movement that has already mobilised youth across 20-plus countries and 170-plus cities. The sheer scale is staggering: 500-plus volunteers powering the machine, 600,000-plus volunteer hours logged across previous editions, and millions of lives touched annually.
The speaker roster is formidable. Diipa Büller-Khosla and Dipali Goenka, chief executive of Welspun India, will share the stage with Malaika Arora in conversations spanning leadership, creativity and culture. Union Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Mansukhbhai Mandaviya will also attend, reinforcing GYF’s reach into the corridors of power.
But this is not mere talk. The Solaris Mainstage promises concerts from renowned Indian artists. Innerverse delivers a 360-degree LED spectacle of art, technology and sound. The Love and Care Arena houses hands-on projects spanning women’s empowerment, child education, rural upliftment and animal welfare. India’s largest outdoor sound-healing experience awaits. An inflatable obstacle course, neon drifter karts and open-sky bouldering cater to thrill-seekers.
Some have branded GYF the “Coachella of Consciousness.” Others call it “India’s Largest Sober Festival.” Spiritual visionary Pujya Gurudevshri Rakeshji, who inspired the festival, will deliver the Wisdom Masterclass. Every rupee goes to charity.
After Mumbai comes Kolkata on 14 December. New York looms next year. For one weekend in December, Mumbai becomes the epicentre of youth-driven change—and nothing will be quite the same after.
Tickets available on BookMyShow. Visit youthfestival.srmd.org or follow @globalyouthfestival on Instagram.
