Music composer Abhijit Vaghani chalks out difference between system of revenue and royalty in west and India
Mumbai, July 22
Music composer and producer Abhijit Vaghani, who has been the creative force behind many Bollywood songs in his 27 years of career, has supported the music industry's system of paying the artistes upfront, and not giving them residual income as part of royalty.
The composer spoke with IANS at his studio in the Andheri West area of Mumbai, and shared that revenue generation is a big challenge for musicians in India, and the current system of paying the artistes in lieu of music rights works better in this context.
He told IANS, "We have very different systems in the west and in India. If I'm a songwriter and I'm in a room, if I have three other songwriters with me, then our equal shares are formed. And that happens in a revenue sharing system. And that same revenue sharing system is actually obsolete here because here, you are counted per individual. And you're paid outright. In this system, you pay off a person, and then you take all their rights or whatever they've done, and then you collect all of them, and the label keeps everything. In our country, it might be really helping people. Because here, in the revenue systems, it takes a lot of time to gather revenue".
"If I'm a new music director, or a singer, then it will take me a lot of time to actually make it in the industry. And maybe this outright system is helpful for everyone. So that's the difference between the West and us. In independent songs right now, we do have a rise in the revenue sharing model. Which is also perfectly fine, because they are adapting to what the West is. And what happens in that is, everyone gets equal share. And whether the song is with a big artist or a small artist, the share will remain the same. And as soon as your song goes viral, that share will keep increasing. You keep doing it for 10 years, 20 years, and you get a collection of these royalties, which amount up to a pretty good amount. You just have to wait. It's not like you get instant results", he added.
— IANS
Reader Comments
As someone who follows independent music closely, I've seen the revenue sharing model work wonders for smaller artists on platforms like Spotify. But Vaghani is right - Bollywood's machine runs on instant payments. The patience required for West-style royalty accumulation is a luxury many Indian musicians can't afford, especially when rent is due. 😅
Coming from the US music industry, this is a fascinating contrast. In the West, we fight tooth and nail for royalty splits, but I can see why the outright system works in India's context. Labels here take a massive risk on unknown talent, and instant payment reduces disputes. Though I do think as the industry matures, more hybrid models should emerge.
Vaghani makes a valid point, but respectfully, the current system disincentivizes long-term creativity. Many composers just pump out generic songs for upfront cash without caring about replay value. A revenue-sharing model would force everyone to make better, more timeless music that earns over years. Look at how Ilaiyaraaja's royalty issues have dragged on - we need proper IP protection first. 😤
Interesting perspective from someone with 27 years in the industry. The independent song boom in India is definitely changing things - artists like Prateek Kuhad and The Local Train have shown that waiting for royalties can pay off big time. But Vaghani's point about needing to wait is real; most Indian musicians can't survive a decade of 0 income hoping for viral success.
I've been in the Indian film industry for 12 years as a sound engineer. Vaghani is spot on
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