How the Kobalt–Madverse Deal Changes Royalty Collection for South Asian Creators

Hook: If you’re a South Asian songwriter missing checks, this deal just changed the rules

Creators in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the wider South Asian diaspora have long felt royalty collection was a maze — fragmented societies, mismatched metadata, slow payouts and lost streams. The Kobalt–Madverse partnership (announced Jan 2026) promises one clear upside: direct access to a global publishing administration network that can stop money from falling through the cracks. But what does that actually mean for your bank balance, your splits and your control over songs? This deep dive covers the mechanics, the unlocked capabilities and actionable steps you can take right now to capture revenue.

Why the Kobalt–Madverse deal matters in 2026

Late 2025 and early 2026 were marked by big publishers doubling down on South Asia — a region whose streaming audience grew faster than global averages and where independent creators are exploding across film, indie pop, hip-hop and regional languages. Kobalt’s global publishing admin engine marrying Madverse’s local pipeline of songwriters bridges two chronic problems:

• Local reach + global collection: Madverse brings creators and metadata; Kobalt brings direct DSP contracts, sub-publisher networks and automated claims processes.
• Data-driven matching: Kobalt’s tech reduces unmatched royalties by improving metadata matching and reconciling splits quickly.
• Speed and transparency: Faster identification of missing earnings, centralized reporting dashboards and more consistent payout cadence.

What “publishing administration” actually does

Publishing administration is the nuts-and-bolts work that turns a composition (your melody and lyrics) into enforceable revenue. It includes:

• Registering compositions with collecting societies and international databases (ISWC, CAE/IPI).
• Claiming publishing income from streaming, sync, radio, live performance and mechanical reproduction.
• Splits management between co-writers, producers and publishers.
• Reconciliation of statements and chasing unpaid or unidentified royalties (the “unmatched pool”).

“Administration” is the plumbing. With the right admin partner, previously invisible revenue becomes visible — and payable.

Royalty collection mechanics: from stream to payout (step-by-step)

Understanding where money sits and why admin access matters starts with a clear flowchart of royalty life:

1) Digital Service Providers (DSPs) and user-facing revenue

Streams and downloads generate two basic claims: sound recording revenue (paid to the record label/performers) and composition/publishing revenue (paid to songwriters and publishers). DSPs often pass publishing data to global administrators or local societies for collection.

2) Performance and mechanical rights

Performance royalties (radio, public performance) and mechanicals (reproduction – including interactive streaming mechanicals) are collected differently in different territories. In the U.S., for example, the MLC handles digital mechanicals; elsewhere, local collecting societies perform both roles. Global admin networks file claims where DSPs don’t directly pay a society.

3) Neighboring rights and performers’ revenue

Neighboring rights — payments to performers and producers for public performance of sound recordings — are often handled by different organizations (phonographic societies). If you perform or produce, those need separate registration to be collected globally. Consider how live monetization and performance tracking feed into neighbouring-rights claims.

4) Unmatched revenue & audits

Not all streams are immediately matchable to a composition or set of splits. Global admins run discovery tools, submit claims to DSPs and partner societies, and audit statements to recover unmatched funds. This is where Kobalt’s scale matters: automation + legal teams = higher recovery rates. If you’ve got legacy releases, a catalog audit can surface years of missed revenue.

What global admin access unlocks for South Asian creators

When Madverse creators are plugged into Kobalt’s network, the practical outcomes are:

• Faster identification of missing royalties — Kobalt’s systems scan DSP reporting and flag unmatched or under-split streams.
• Direct DSP relationships — direct licensing lines to large streaming platforms and video services reduce dependence on slow local intermediaries.
• Consolidated reporting — one dashboard for global royalties instead of dozens of PDFs from different societies.
• Territory claims — active claiming in territories where your local society has no reach (e.g., claiming European mechanicals or Latin American neighboring rights).
• Split & metadata enforcement — enforceable split agreements (ISWC registrations and publisher shares) prevent split disputes before payments are issued.

Real-world example (mini case study)

Imagine Aisha, an independent Chennai-based songwriter whose Tamil indie track started trending on a U.S. playlist and TikTok duets. Before the admin connection, Aisha received a few small local society payments — and no mechanicals from U.S. DSPs because her composition was not fully registered internationally. After Madverse registers the song with Kobalt:

• Kobalt matches streams to the composition via ISWC and collects mechanicals and performance royalties from DSPs and societies in the U.S., UK and EU.
• Kobalt identifies unmatched YouTube claims and files Content ID claims on behalf of the publisher unit, capturing sync-like revenue.
• Result: Aisha sees a consolidated payout with overseas mechanicals and performance revenue she never accessed before.

9 immediate, actionable steps South Asian creators should take today

Whether you plan to sign with Madverse (and through them access Kobalt) or manage admin differently, these steps make sure you don’t leave money on the table.

1. Gather and standardize metadata now. For every song collect: title, writers (full legal names), CAE/IPI or equivalent ID, publisher shares, ISRC for the master, and any existing ISWC if assigned. Correct, consistent metadata is the #1 preventer of lost revenue.
2. Secure co-writer split agreements in writing. Before you release — or immediately after — document splits (percentages) and sign them. Admins and societies rely on clear splits to route payouts accurately.
3. Register compositions with local societies and request ISWCs. In India, ensure registration with your local collecting society (e.g., IPRS) and request ISWCs via your admin. Global admins will use ISWCs to claim in other territories.
4. Register your recordings with ISRCs and upload to DSPs correctly. The composition-to-master link is essential for matching. Incorrect or missing ISRCs equals missing money.
5. Opt into neighbouring rights collection if you’re a performer/producer. These are separate payments and often go unclaimed in South Asia. Ask your admin or local neighboring-rights society to file claims globally — and consider how live monetization data feeds into claims.
6. Request a catalog audit. If you’ve released music for years, ask a reputable admin (or Madverse/Kobalt via the partnership) to run an audit for unmatched and unclaimed royalties.
7. Negotiate admin deal terms — don’t sign blind. Watch for term length, recoupment of advances, admin fee percentages, territory scope, sub-publishing costs, audit rights and data transparency. Keep the term short if you want flexibility.
8. Use modern splits tools and keep them updated. Systems that store split info (split sheets, online splits platforms) make it easy for admins to enforce percentages. Update splits immediately after collaborator changes.
9. Track usage beyond DSPs — sync, short-form, games and live. Kobalt’s admin can chase sync and user-generated content claims. Provide cuesheets and stems where possible to speed sync clearance.

How to evaluate a publishing admin offer (quick checklist)

When a company (Madverse as a local provider, Kobalt as global admin) offers publishing admin, assess these:

• Fees: Percentage of publishing income taken for administration — typical admin deals range widely (5–20%); understand what’s deducted.
• Territory coverage: Are they claiming in major DSP markets and territories where you have listeners?
• Transparency & reporting: Will you get timely statements and access to raw data?
• Audit and dispute rights: Can you audit their books? What’s the process for split disputes?
• Contract term & exit provisions: How easy is it to terminate and take your catalog with you?
• Advance & recoupment: If there is an advance, what recoupment terms apply?

What to watch in 2026 — future predictions and trends

Several industry trends emerging in late 2025 and into 2026 will amplify why an admin partnership like Kobalt–Madverse matters:

• Short-form platforms keep fragmenting revenue: Micro-syncs and UGC create tiny, high-volume claims that require automated matching to collect at scale.
• Live monetization growth: Virtual concerts and tipping systems mean you must track performance metadata in real time.
• More direct licensing: DSPs and social platforms are expanding direct licensing models, favoring publishers with scale and data transparency.
• Improved global interoperability: CISAC and other bodies continue to modernize databases (better ISWC/CAES usage), making cross-border claims more efficient.
• Rights tech experimentation: Pilots using distributed ledgers and standardized machine-readable rights statements are growing; admins investing in these pilots will likely have faster claim resolution.

Risks and trade-offs — what creators should watch for

No partnership is a magic pill. These are real trade-offs:

• Long contract terms: Some admins ask for lengthy terms to justify their investment. If you’re early in your career, prefer shorter terms with renewal options.
• Fee structures: Low headline fees may hide sub-publisher commissions or admin service charges. Ask for a sample monthly statement.
• Dependency on central systems: Putting all your rights under one roof gives scale but can reduce bargaining leverage later. Balance growth with contractual flexibility.

Checklist: Prioritize these actions this month

Start simple. Pick the top three items and complete them in 30 days:

1. Assemble metadata for your top 10 tracks (ISRC, co-writer IDs, splits). — see metadata tools.
2. Register with your local collecting society (or confirm active registration).
3. Request a catalog audit from Madverse/Kobalt or a trusted admin to find unclaimed royalties.

Final thoughts — the upside is real, but it’s tactical

The Kobalt–Madverse partnership is a milestone: it plugs South Asian creators into an infrastructure built for global scale. That means more accurate matching, broader territory claims and, for many, new revenue lines. But the difference between seeing a check and seeing nothing will still come down to metadata discipline, signed splits and smart contract negotiation.

Think of the deal as a new highway. You still need a good map, a tuned car and a seatbelt — metadata, splits and audits are those essentials.

Resources & next moves

Use these practical resources to move fast:

• Request your ISWC and ISRC lists from your distributor or admin.
• Sign up for a catalog audit with Madverse or a third-party admin to find unmatched royalties.
• Download a splits template and get co-writers to sign it — don’t rely on email chain percentages.
• Ask potential admin partners for sample statements that show raw data (streams, territories, rates).

Call-to-action

Don’t let global revenue sit unclaimed. If you’re a South Asian songwriter or producer, start by gathering your metadata and requesting a catalog audit this week. Want help? Join our community drop-in on funs.live where creators, publishers and rights experts walk through actual statements and split sheets every month — bring one song and we’ll show you where money might be hiding.

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