Abhijit Vaghani Explains India Vs West Music Royalty Systems

MUMBAI-Music composer and producer Abhijit Vaghani, known for his work on several Bollywood songs over a 27-year career, has backed the Indian music industry’s practice of paying artists upfront rather than providing long-term royalty income, saying the system suits the country’s music ecosystem.

Vaghani said revenue generation takes much longer in India, making the upfront payment model more practical for many musicians.

“We have very different systems in the West and in India. In the West, if I’m a songwriter working with three others, everyone gets an equal share under a revenue-sharing model. Here, artists are generally paid outright, after which the label owns the rights and collects the revenue,” he said.

Vaghani said the Indian system can be beneficial, particularly for newcomers who may otherwise have to wait years before earning meaningful royalty income.

“If I’m a new music director or singer, it will take me a long time to establish myself. Maybe this outright system is helpful for everyone. In independent music, however, we are seeing a rise in the revenue-sharing model, where everyone receives an equal share. As a song becomes successful, those royalties continue to grow over the years. It takes time, but the earnings can eventually become substantial,” he added. (IANS)