Kobalt Partners With India’s Madverse to Expand Publishing Reach

In a significant move for the independent music sector, Kobalt has formed a worldwide alliance with India's Madverse Music Group. This partnership is designed to link Madverse's vast community of South Asian independent creators with Kobalt's global publishing administration platform, directly addressing a critical shortfall in international royalty collection that has historically limited earnings for artists in the region.

Madverse, which supports a network exceeding 150,000 artists and labels across India and South Asia, will now integrate Kobalt's services for its members. These encompass comprehensive royalty collection across over 180 territories, advanced metadata management, and expanded sync licensing opportunities for placements in film, television, and advertising. A key objective is to uphold Madverse's "Independent, Not Alone" ethos, allowing creators to retain ownership of their rights while gaining access to more transparent and efficient global operations. This focus on creator control is central to Madverse's model, which has grown rapidly alongside India's booming digital music economy, a market fueled by platforms like JioSaavn and Gaana.

Madverse CEO Rohan Nesho Jain described the alliance as a pivotal development for India's independent music landscape. "The existing infrastructure for collecting global royalties has been fragmented and largely ineffective, causing Indian creators to miss out on substantial revenue for years," Jain explained. He highlighted that publishing royalties serve as a vital, enduring financial asset—similar to a long-term investment—that can provide income for decades. Industry experts often point out that robust publishing administration is a cornerstone of career sustainability, especially in markets where digital streaming is exploding but collection systems lag behind.

Simon Moor, Kobalt's Managing Director for Asia-Pacific, commended Madverse's artist-focused approach. "Madverse has cultivated one of the world's most vibrant independent music communities," Moor stated. "Integrating their ecosystem with our global network will provide these songwriters and producers with the tools and reach necessary for international success." Kobalt administers publishing for more than 1 million works from a roster that includes iconic figures like Paul McCartney and hitmakers like Max Martin, with its represented songs consistently occupying around 35% of the top 100 charts in both the U.S. and U.K.

This partnership represents a strategic expansion for Kobalt into the high-growth South Asian market, where digital music revenue is forecast for strong annual growth. By bridging the gap between local creative networks and global royalty systems, the collaboration aims to transform how independent South Asian artists are compensated worldwide, setting a new standard for cross-border music publishing administration.