SUR & SAUDALearn the business of music
In-depth, plain-English guides to how money, rights, AI and marketing actually work for independent artists in India, in four tracks, plus free documents to get you started.
Music businessAI musicMusic marketingGetting started: documents
Music business
How money and rights actually work: royalties, IPRS, masters, distributors, contracts, sync, live shows and money admin.
How a song makes money in India
The two copyrights inside every song, the income streams they unlock, who collects each one, and a worked example of an independent artist setting them all up.
Module 2Publishing and IPRS, step by step
What publishing royalties are, what IPRS does, who it pays, how to join and register your songs, how splits work, and the mistakes that stop the money reaching you.
Module 3Recording and performer rights: who owns the master
Who owns a sound recording, what PPL India and ISAMRA do, how ISRC codes work, and how to make sure the recording and your performance on it pay you.
Module 4Distributors, end to end
What a music distributor does and doesn't do, the pricing models, how to compare them, the metadata that matters, how to release properly, and how to leave one without losing your history.
Module 5The contracts you'll be offered, and what to check
The main deals independent artists in India are offered (label, distribution, producer, management, publishing) and the clauses in each that decide who owns what, who gets paid and for how long.
Module 6Sync and brand licensing: how to be easy to say yes to
How brands, films and shows choose and license music, the two licences every sync needs, what affects the fee, how a request actually flows, and how independent artists can be ready.
Module 7Live shows: fees, agreements and riders
How independent artists get paid for gigs, the common deal structures, what a performance agreement should cover, how to write a simple rider, and the licensing basics organisers handle.
Module 8Money admin for musicians
How to keep music income organised: separating your money, invoicing properly, tracking royalties from every source, international payments, GST basics and the questions to ask a chartered accountant.
AI music
What AI tools can and can't do, what platforms allow and pay for, who owns AI-assisted music, and how to protect your voice.
The AI music toolkit: what each kind of tool is good for
The main kinds of AI music tools (generators, stem separation, mixing and mastering, voice, writing and marketing helpers), what each one does well and badly, and how musicians actually use them.
Module 2What the platforms allow, label and pay for
How Deezer, Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music and Tidal treat AI music in 2026, how much AI music is uploaded versus actually played, the labelling standards coming in, and what to tell your distributor.
Module 3Copyright and AI: who owns what
Who owns music made with AI, what the US Copyright Office has said about human authorship, where India's law and policy stand, what AI tools' terms say, and how to protect your own work.
Module 4Using AI without losing your sound
A practical workflow for using AI tools at each stage of making music, from ideas to release, while keeping your voice, your rights and your audience's trust.
Module 5Voice cloning and protecting your identity
What voice cloning is, how Indian courts have protected singers' voices from AI misuse, what platforms do about impersonation, and the steps every artist can take to protect their voice, name and likeness.
Music marketing
Building an artist brand and getting heard: release planning, Instagram, YouTube, Spotify for Artists, playlists, press and brands.
Building your artist brand
What an artist brand actually is, how to define yours in one page, and how to make it consistent across your music, visuals, profiles and the way you talk to fans.
Module 2Planning a release: the 8-week timeline
A week-by-week plan for releasing a single as an independent artist in India, from finishing the master to pitching Spotify editors, building pre-saves and keeping the song alive after release day.
Module 3Instagram and Reels: what actually moves reach
The signals Instagram says it ranks on, what that means for musicians, how to use Reels, carousels, Trial Reels and Collabs, and a weekly posting rhythm an independent artist can keep up.
Module 4YouTube and Shorts
How YouTube works for independent musicians in India, including Official Artist Channels, Art Tracks and Content ID, Shorts up to three minutes, the Partner Program and a simple upload plan for each release.
Module 5Spotify for Artists, end to end
Everything an independent artist in India can do in Spotify for Artists, including your profile, pitching, Canvas, Countdown Pages and audience data, plus which paid tools are and aren't available to India-based teams, and the 1,000-stream rule.
Module 6Playlists, press and radio
How to get your music onto editorial, algorithmic and independent playlists, how to pitch music journalists and blogs, how to approach radio, and how to avoid paid-placement scams.
Module 7Collaborations and working with brands
How to collaborate with other artists to grow both audiences, how to find, pitch and price brand work, what to check in a brand agreement, and India's disclosure rules for paid posts.
Module 8Measuring what's working
The few numbers that actually tell an independent artist whether a release and their marketing are working, where to find them in Spotify for Artists, Instagram and YouTube, and a simple monthly review.
Getting started: documents
Free, practical documents for independent artists, each as a web page and a Word or PDF download.
Split sheet: who owns the song
A free, printable split sheet for Indian independent artists. Record who wrote each song, their roles and their shares, plus who owns the recording, signed by everyone before release.
Document 2The 8-week release checklist
A free, printable week-by-week checklist for releasing a single as an independent artist in India, from master and metadata to pitching, content, release day and the four weeks after.
Document 3Song metadata and credits sheet
A free sheet for collecting every piece of information your distributor, IPRS and streaming platforms need about a release, so credits are right and royalties reach the right people.
Document 4EPK (press kit) template
A free electronic press kit template for independent artists in India, with what to include, how long each part should be, and examples, for journalists, curators, promoters and brands.
Document 5Collaboration agreement checklist
A free checklist of everything two or more artists should agree before releasing music together, covering the song, the recording, money, credits, releases, usage and exits, to take to a lawyer or use as a starting point.
Document 6IPRS registration checklist
A free checklist for Indian songwriters and composers joining IPRS and registering their songs, covering what to prepare, the steps to follow, how to register works correctly, and what to check afterwards.
Document 7Brand pitch email template
Free email templates for independent artists pitching brands in India, including a first pitch, a follow-up, a reply when a brand approaches you, and a quote, with notes on what to change for each brand.