Sep 24, 2026
The global music industry is developing in different directions at the same time. In India, music-tech companies are building new infrastructure for independent artists, offering services that traditionally required support from record labels. In New Zealand, the recorded music industry is pushing for stronger copyright protections as artificial intelligence companies increasingly use creative works for AI development. These two developments highlight two major questions for the modern music business: How can independent artists access professional music services, and how should music rights be protected in the age of AI? India’s Music-Tech Platforms Are Expanding Support for Independent Artists India’s independent music sector is seeing growing support from music-technology companies that combine distribution, royalty management, publishing, marketing and other services under one platform. One example is Madverse, which has now onboarded more than 200,000 independent artists and labels across more than 45 countries, according to a September 2026 report by The Financial Express. The platform distributes music to major streaming services and also provides services including royalty collection, music publishing administration, sync licensing, marketing and analytics. The development reflects a broader change in how independent musicians can operate. Artists increasingly have access to services that were historically associated with traditional record labels without necessarily entering a conventional label arrangement. The Financial Express reported that Madverse allows musicians to retain up to 100% ownership of their masters while accessing distribution and other services. How Is Madverse Supporting Independent Artists? Madverse combines several parts of the music business into one technology platform. Its services include: Digital distribution Royalty collection Music publishing administration Sync licensing Marketing Audience development Analytics and music-industry insights This type of model allows independent artists to access more of the infrastructure needed to release and monetize music without relying entirely on a traditional record label. Madverse's reported reach of more than 200,000 artists and labels across 45+ countries also shows that Indian music-tech companies are increasingly operating beyond the domestic market. What Is Damroo Doing for Indian Independent Musicians? Damroo is another Indian music-tech platform offering services designed to support independent and regional creators. Its services include music distribution, publishing support, YouTube management, marketing and production assistance. Damroo describes its platform as helping artists increase their reach and connect with opportunities within the music industry. The growth of platforms such as Madverse and Damroo is taking place alongside a large independent creator base in India. A recent report cited more than 40,000 active Indian music creators producing independent and regional repertoire. This is particularly significant because India's music market has historically been strongly connected to film music, while independent and regional artists continue to develop their own audiences through streaming and digital platforms. Why Does This Matter for Independent Artists? The growth of music-tech platforms can give independent musicians access to several services through one provider. Instead of separately finding a distributor, royalty administrator, publishing administrator, marketing team and sync representative, an artist may be able to access multiple functions through a single platform. This represents a broader shift in the music industry toward artist-service companies that provide infrastructure without necessarily functioning as traditional record labels. Recorded Music NZ Calls for Stronger Copyright Protection for AI Training In New Zealand, a different part of the music industry's future is receiving attention. Recorded Music NZ published a position paper in September 2026 outlining its concerns about copyright and artificial intelligence. The organisation is calling on the New Zealand government to maintain existing copyright protections and reject new copyright exceptions that would allow AI companies to train on music without authorization. Recorded Music NZ represents recording artists and rights holders in Aotearoa New Zealand through licensing, advocacy and industry initiatives. What Is Recorded Music NZ Asking the Government to Do? Recorded Music NZ has outlined several areas it wants the government to address. 1. Keep Existing Copyright Protections The organisation says existing copyright law already provides a framework for determining how music can be used for AI training. Its position is that AI companies should seek permission and obtain licences when they want to use copyrighted music for training rather than receiving a broad new copyright exception. 2. Require AI Companies to Keep Training Records Recorded Music NZ is also asking for meaningful requirements for AI companies to maintain records of the material used to train their systems. According to the organisation, access to this information could help rights holders identify whether their music has been used and support future licensing or enforcement. This issue is becoming increasingly important as music companies and creators seek greater transparency around the datasets used to develop generative AI systems. 3. Introduce AI Content Labelling Recorded Music NZ is also calling for AI-generated content to be properly labelled. The proposal reflects a wider international discussion about transparency, particularly as listeners may find it increasingly difficult to distinguish between human-created and AI-generated music. 4. Create a Coordinated National AI Policy Recorded Music NZ is calling for a broader, coordinated government approach to AI regulation, with the music and wider creative industries involved in policy discussions. Why Is Licensing Important for AI and Music? Music rights are already licensed across many parts of the industry. Streaming services, broadcasters, businesses and other users obtain permissions to use music under established licensing systems. Recorded Music NZ itself licenses certain uses of sound recordings on behalf of rights holders in New Zealand. The debate around AI training asks whether the same principle should apply when copyrighted music is used as training material for AI systems. For rights holders, licensing can provide a way to authorize use while establishing terms around payment, scope and permitted activities. For AI developers, licensing can provide a clearer legal framework for accessing copyrighted material. The exact rules remain a subject of ongoing policy and legal debate in countries around the world. How Does This Fit Into the Global AI and Music Debate? New Zealand's discussion is part of a much broader international debate. Music companies, artists, publishers and technology companies are currently addressing questions including: Can copyrighted music be used to train AI without permission? Should AI companies obtain licences for training data? How should rights holders discover what material was used? Should AI-generated music be labelled? How should creators be compensated? What information should AI companies disclose? Similar discussions are taking place in other markets. In Australia, for example, AI companies have recently lobbied around copyright rules while the government considers its broader AI framework. The growing number of copyright disputes involving AI also demonstrates that the relationship between technology companies and creative rights holders remains unsettled. What Do These Two Developments Tell Us About the Music Industry? The developments in India and New Zealand address different issues, but both show how the infrastructure surrounding music is changing. In India, technology companies are building new services that help independent artists distribute, monetize and manage their music. In New Zealand, the music industry is pushing for stronger systems to protect, license and document the use of copyrighted music in AI development. Together, they highlight the growing importance of music infrastructure beyond simply releasing a song. For today's artists and rights holders, distribution, publishing, royalties, metadata, licensing, copyright and technology increasingly operate as interconnected parts of the music business. What Should the Music Industry Watch Next? Several developments will be important to follow: The continued international expansion of Indian music-tech companies. Growth in services designed specifically for independent and regional artists. New approaches to royalty collection and publishing administration. Government decisions on copyright and AI training. Whether AI companies adopt licensing models for music training data. New transparency requirements around AI-generated music. How rights holders can identify and document the use of their catalogs in AI systems. The global music industry is therefore evolving on two fronts: building better infrastructure for independent creators while developing new rules for protecting creative rights in the AI era. As digital music continues to expand, access to professional services and control over intellectual property are becoming increasingly important parts of an artist's career. Art City follows developments across music, technology, copyright, distribution, royalties and the global creative industries.
