musiclicensingcreators

Music Licensing 101 for Streamers: What Kobalt’s Madverse Deal Means for South Asian Creators

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2026-01-25 12:00:00

10 min read

How Kobalt’s Madverse deal changes music licensing for South Asian streamers and indie devs—practical steps to avoid takedowns and secure streaming rights.

Stop losing VODs and revenue: what the Kobalt–Madverse deal means for South Asian streamers and indie devs

If you’re a streamer or indie game developer in South Asia, you’ve felt it: a sudden takedown, a muted VOD, or a claim that eats into your monetization after you played a regional song during a live session. Music rights are messy — but they’re getting cleaner. In January 2026, Kobalt announced a global publishing administration partnership with India’s Madverse, and that deal shifts how regional music will be tracked, licensed, and paid worldwide. This article breaks down what changed, what still hasn’t, and step-by-step actions you can take today to protect streams, earn royalties, and legally use regional tracks in games and broadcasts.

Quick takeaway (read this first)

Kobalt x Madverse expands global publishing administration for South Asian writers — better royalty collection and metadata mapping across territories.
For streamers, that usually means more accurate claims (good and bad): rights-holders can find and claim uses faster — but proper licensing and communication also become easier.
For indie devs who want regional music in games, the deal makes global royalty administration scalable — but you still need explicit sync and master usage terms for streaming-friendly releases.
Practical next steps: audit your library, clear sync/master rights or use streaming-licensed tracks, demand written permissions, and standardize metadata.

What Kobalt and Madverse actually did (Jan 2026 explained)

On January 15, 2026, industry press reported that independent music publisher Kobalt formed a worldwide partnership with India’s Madverse Music Group. Madverse acts as a hub for South Asian independent songwriters, composers, and producers — offering distribution, publishing support, and marketing. Under the agreement, Madverse’s catalogue and creator community gain access to Kobalt’s publishing administration network and global royalty collection infrastructure.

“Madverse’s community of independent songwriters, composers and producers will gain access to Kobalt’s publishing administration network.” — Variety, Jan 15, 2026

Publishing administration means Kobalt will handle the composition/publishing side: registering works with collection societies and digital platforms, matching metadata, and collecting performance and mechanical royalties across territories. Importantly, this is publishing — not necessarily master (sound recording) rights — though administration often improves cross-border revenue flows for both sides when combined with distribution partners.

Why this matters to streamers

Streamers face three recurring pain points when it comes to music:

Unexpected DMCA or platform music takedowns
Content ID claims that block VOD monetization
Unclear permissions for live performance vs recorded use

Here’s how the Kobalt–Madverse link affects each.

1) Faster, more accurate claims

Better publishing administration means works are registered with correct metadata and matched to performance databases. That helps rights-holders detect unauthorized uses on platforms quickly. For streamers this cuts two ways: you’re more likely to see claims (because rights-holders can find you), but those claims will also be more defensible — and easier to resolve if you had pre-agreed usage. For context on how platform deals change claims and monetization flows, see analysis of landmark platform–publisher deals here.

2) Improved global royalty flows

If a South Asian composer’s song appears in a stream viewed in Europe or North America, Kobalt’s global reach increases the chance the composer gets paid for public performances. That’s great for musicians and indie devs, but it also means streamers who thought “small audience = no problem” are now more visible to rights administration systems.

3) Better metadata simplifies clearances

One recurring failure mode is bad metadata: wrong song titles, missing composer credits, or inconsistent publisher names. Kobalt’s systems are engineered to standardize this data, which makes negotiated licenses and takedown disputes easier to document and settle. Learn practical metadata and asset-audit techniques in guides for video-first creators here.

Core licensing concepts streamers and devs must keep clear

Before practical steps, know these basics so you can ask the right questions:

Publishing (composition) rights — rights in the musical work (melody, lyrics). Admin services like Kobalt collect performance/mechanical royalties and register works with PROs worldwide.
Master (sound recording) rights — rights in the actual recorded performance. These are owned by labels or independent artists/distributors.
Sync license — required to put a composition to picture (games, videos). Streamers who record gameplay that includes music often need a sync license, depending on the game developer’s EULA and whether the music was cleared for streaming.
Public performance — playing music publicly (including live streams) can trigger performance royalties collected by PROs or platform licenses.

Practical, step-by-step advice for streamers (what to do today)

Use this checklist to reduce takedowns and stay monetized when using South Asian music or any regional tracks.

1. Audit your music library

List every track you use with: track title, artist, publisher, label, and where you got it.
Flag tracks with missing metadata or unknown publishers.
Prioritize removal or clearance of unverified tracks. A practical audit workflow for creator assets is described in guides to running audits for video-first sites here.

2. Get written permission

Direct permission beats guesswork. For indie South Asian artists, get a short email or license that covers:

Live streaming and VOD uses
Monetization rights (ads, subscriptions)
Territories and duration
Whether the artist keeps publishing or master revenue shares

Keep a central folder with all licenses and timestamps — you’ll need them if a claim arises.

3. When using in-game music, demand a clear clause

If you develop a game or license music for a game, include a streaming-friendly clause in your sync and master agreements. That clause should explicitly permit players and streamers to broadcast gameplay with the soundtrack without seeking additional permission. Developers building creator-friendly releases often follow patterns shared in modern creator studio resources here.

4. Prefer streaming-licensed libraries for background music

Paid services like Epidemic Sound, Artlist, and others offer creator-friendly blanket licenses. For creators focused on growth rather than chasing regional exclusives, these services remove the day-to-day risk of claims. But they often don’t include major label catalogs or niche regional music you might want for authenticity.

5. Use clear metadata and credit the works

When posting clips or VODs, include composer/artist/publisher names in descriptions. Accurate metadata improves Content ID matching and helps rights-holders validate fair licenses or permission. See metadata best-practices in creator asset audits here.

6. Prepare for Content ID

If a track is registered with platforms’ content detection systems, you’ll likely get a claim rather than a DMCA takedown. Claims can block monetization or route ad revenue to the rights-holder — which is okay if it’s expected, but bad if you had permission. Always upload your clearance proof when disputing a claim. For how platform deals affect claims and revenue routing, read analysis of landmark platform–rights-holder agreements here.

Advice for indie game developers using South Asian music

Game developers need a parallel but distinct playbook. Music in games requires sync and master licenses for distribution, and you should explicitly include streaming rights if you want the broader creator ecosystem to amplify your game.

Make your music “streamer-friendly” by default

Include a clause in composer contracts: free streaming of gameplay for promotional use, or a low-cost streaming license grant.
If using third-party tracks, secure both sync and blanket streaming permissions.
Provide an authorisation letter or Asset Rights Pack for creators — a downloadable file that streamers can reference if a claim appears. Developers that provide clear asset packs reduce friction for creators and disputes; see creator tooling and edge deployment patterns in guides to running scalable micro-event streams here.

Leverage Kobalt–Madverse benefits

Because Madverse creators will have Kobalt handling publishing admin, developers licensing regional tracks should:

Request publisher contact and Kobalt admin confirmation in the license.
Ask for clear worldwide royalty splits and whether Kobalt will collect public performance royalties from streaming platforms’ territories.
Require up-to-date ISRC (master) and ISWC (composition) codes in contracts to ensure correct mapping. Practical guidance on ensuring correct asset identifiers is covered in metadata and asset registry write-ups here.

What to expect in 2026 and near future trends

Several trends shaping the space in late 2025 and early 2026 are directly relevant to South Asian creators.

1. Global discovery of South Asian catalogs

As South Asian music’s global audience grows, more catalogues will be administered by global publishers. That increases both royalty revenues to local creators and the chance that unlicensed uses are flagged.

2. Micro-licensing and streaming-first deals

Publishers and platforms are experimenting with micro-licensing products designed for creators: short-term, low-fee licences that explicitly cover live-streaming and VOD. Expect more modular, per-clip licenses appearing through publisher portals in 2026. Work on micro-licensing and creator tools intersects with platform and hosting shifts reported in hosting and low-latency coverage here.

3. Better metadata and rights registries

Blockchain and shared registries are getting piloted to fix metadata problems. Kobalt’s partnership amplifies the chances Madverse’s works will be mapped in these registries — reducing future friction. For registry and asset mapping patterns, see discussions of AI and registry integration here.

4. AI detection and automated claims

Detection tech is improving. Rights-holders can find shorter or previously hard-to-detect uses. This means creators should assume their use will be discovered and plan licenses accordingly. For how AI is reshaping stream layouts and detection, see relevant AI-driven creator platform notes here.

Negotiation checklist for creators and devs

When you sign a license or a composer agreement, verify the following items. Use them as negotiation points.

Scope: live streaming, VOD, highlights, clips, and promotional uses explicitly included
Territory: global vs specific territories
Revenue: who keeps ad/subscription revenue if a Content ID claim appears
Duration: term or perpetual rights
Exclusivity: non-exclusive for broader creator sharing, exclusive only if paid for
Metadata: ISWC/ISRC provided and publisher contact (Kobalt admin details if relevant)
Indemnity & dispute process: quick takedown reversal steps and escalation contacts

Handling a takedown or Content ID claim: playbook

Don’t panic — document the claim and the timestamp (save recordings).
Check your license folder for written permissions or EULAs covering the use.
If you have permission, upload proof to the platform’s dispute form and to the claimant if contactable.
If you don’t have permission, negotiate: offer to share ad revenue, request a mutual credit, or remove the clip.
As a last resort consult a lawyer — for protracted disputes, legal help can be necessary.

Case example: a hypothetical, realistic scenario

Imagine a Chennai-based composer licenses two tracks to an indie developer for a mobile RPG. The composer signs with Madverse for distribution and publishing admin; Madverse routes publishing admin to Kobalt in 2026. A popular streamer in Brazil records a three-hour play session that includes these tracks. Because Kobalt now administers the composition globally, public performance royalties are detected and routed to the composer’s PRO via Kobalt’s international relationships — the composer gets paid for a use that previously would have been invisible. At the same time, the developer had included a streaming-friendly clause in their contract, so the streamer is protected from takedowns. Win–win — but it required clear contracts, correct ISRC/ISWC metadata, and the admin power of a global publisher. For developer and streaming infrastructure playbooks, see resources on running scalable micro-event streams and home studio builds here and here.

Final notes & risk warning

Publishing administration deals like Kobalt–Madverse are good for transparency and revenue — they reduce uncollected royalties and improve metadata hygiene. For streamers and indie devs, that means more claims may appear, but also clearer pathways to legal use and compensation for creators. This is progress for South Asian music’s global integration — but it raises the stakes for streamers who rely on informal permissions.

Important: This article is informational and not legal advice. Always consult an entertainment lawyer when drafting sync or master contracts or when handling complex takedowns.

Actionable checklist — 7 things to do this week

Audit your streaming music and tag each track with artist/publisher/label/ISRC/ISWC if available. Use metadata-audit guidance for creator assets here.
Remove or replace any track without clear written permission.
If you’re a dev, add a streaming clause to composer contracts going forward. Developer-focused studio guidance is available at modern home cloud studio playbooks here.
Request publisher/admin contact info (e.g., Kobalt admin) from artists you license.
Use streaming-friendly music libraries for background tracks.
Store all permissions in a single, searchable folder with timestamps.
Join community channels that share takedown case studies for South Asian catalogs and follow platform policy updates; for infrastructure and hosting changes see coverage of hosting platforms adopting edge AI here.

Where to learn more

Follow Kobalt and Madverse announcements, track PRO guidance in your country (for India, the Indian Performing Right Society and related organizations), and monitor platform-specific music policies (YouTube, Twitch, Facebook/Meta). For complex licensing, consult a rights lawyer who understands sync, master, and international publishing administration.

Call to action

If you’re a streamer or indie dev who wants a free audit checklist and a template streaming clause you can insert into composer contracts, join our creator-packed mailing list and download the kit. Protect your channel, respect creators, and help South Asian music get paid properly — because when rights are clear, everyone wins.

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Contributor

Senior editor and content strategist. Writing about technology, design, and the future of digital media. Follow along for deep dives into the industry's moving parts.

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