How Streamers Can Legally Use South Asian Indie Music in Their Streams

Stop losing clips to DMCA: a practical guide to using South Asian indie music on stream

DMCA strikes, muted VODs, and confusing licensing emails are a near-daily headache for streamers who want a distinctive soundtrack. If you stream on Twitch, YouTube, or Facebook and want to build a playlist of South Asian indie tracks that gives your channel character—without risking takedowns—you need a clear path to licensed music. The January 2026 Kobalt × Madverse partnership changes that path. This guide breaks down what the deal means for creators, exactly which rights you need to clear, and step-by-step tactics to license South Asian indie music legally and build playlists that stand out.

What the Kobalt × Madverse deal means for streamers (2026)

On Jan 15, 2026, industry reporting confirmed a worldwide partnership between independent publisher Kobalt and India-based Madverse Music Group. The deal gives Madverse’s community of South Asian indie songwriters and producers access to Kobalt’s global publishing administration and royalty collection network.

Variety: “Kobalt Partners With India’s Madverse to Expand Publishing Reach” (Jan 15, 2026)

Why this matters for streamers:

• Clearer licensing routes: Madverse now has a direct on-ramp to Kobalt’s publishing services, which makes it easier for creators to identify and negotiate rights for compositions owned or administered by Kobalt.
• Global royalty collection: Kobalt’s admin network increases the chance that public performance and mechanical royalties generated when your stream is viewed worldwide will be properly tracked and paid to rightsholders.
• New catalog access: South Asian indie music that was previously hard to licence cross-border can now be surfaced through Kobalt’s systems and distribution partners, opening options for unique playlists.

2026 trends that make this a timely moment

• Major publishers and aggregators are forming regional partnerships to map rights and monetize global streaming usage more efficiently.
• Platforms tightened music policies in late 2024–2025; in response, more publishers are offering streamlined sync and short-form licensing options for streamers.
• Technology improvements—metadata standards and rights APIs—mean publishers can more quickly confirm ownership and issue digital licenses or whitelists.

Which rights do streamers actually need? The simple breakdown

Understanding the rights is the single most efficient way to stop DMCA headaches. For a streamer to legally play a recorded song on-air and keep VODs/clips monetized, you usually need to clear three categories:

• Sync license — permission to synchronize the composition (lyrics/melody) with visual media (your stream/video). Sync is typically required when you pair music with a visual stream or recorded VOD clips.
• Master use license — permission to use the specific recorded performance (the audio file). If you want to play the artist’s recorded track, you need the master right from the label or owner.
• Public performance / broadcast rights — usually handled by Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) and publishers. This covers live public broadcasts and may be partly addressed when platforms and PROs have blanket agreements, but blanket deals rarely cover sync or commercial use like paid sponsorships.

Key point: Streaming a track publicly is not the same as playing music in your house. Even tracks available on Spotify or YouTube still require explicit sync and/or master clearance for use in live or recorded streams.

How to license South Asian indie tracks via Kobalt × Madverse — step-by-step

Below is a pragmatic workflow you can follow today. These steps assume the track you want may be represented by Madverse and now administered by Kobalt.

1. Identify the track and rights holders. Use the track metadata, artist pages, and Madverse catalogs. If you can’t find publisher info, contact Madverse directly—this partnership means they can route licensing requests through Kobalt’s publishing admin.
2. Ask for sync + master permission. Specify your use: live streams, VODs, clips, monetization, region coverage, and length per episode. Request a written license that lists allowed uses and dates.
3. Confirm who collects royalties. Ask whether Kobalt administers the publishing and who owns the master. That tells you where sync fees go and who to pay for the master recording.
4. Negotiate terms. Fees can range from a one-time sync fee to a revenue-share or per-clip fee. For indie artists, you can often negotiate favorable rates in exchange for promotion and artist credit.
5. Get a whitelist or license certificate you can present to the platform. Platforms like Twitch and YouTube are increasingly responsive when you can supply an explicit license or publisher confirmation—this can stop takedowns or speed manual review.
6. Embed licensing data in your VODs and descriptions. Always include credited artist names, publisher (Kobalt/Madverse), and a link to the track in VOD descriptions and pinned chat messages.
7. Retain all correspondence and license files. If you receive a DMCA claim, a timestamped written license with digital signature is your strongest defence.

Practical playbook: a form license request you can use

When you email Madverse or Kobalt, be concise and include:

• Full track details (title, artist, ISRC if available)
• Your channel/platform(s) and estimated hours of usage per month
• Intended uses (live streams, saved VODs, clips, highlights, monetization)
• Geographic coverage (global is simplest)
• Requested license duration (e.g., 12 months)

A direct, professional request shortens the clearance timeline—publishers like Kobalt expect structured requests and can route them quicker through their admin systems.

Avoiding DMCA: hands-on tactics

Even with a license, platform-side mistakes happen. These steps reduce risk and accelerate resolution:

• Get a written license or whitelist. Digitally-signed PDF or email from the publisher/label that explicitly lists uses.
• Upload proof to the platform. If Twitch or YouTube flags content, immediately open a support ticket and attach the license.
• Credit and link in your VOD description. Add artist, publisher (Kobalt/Madverse), and license ID—this transparency helps manual reviewers and promoters.
• Segment music-heavy parts. If licensing is complex, consider placing copyrighted songs in designated segments and note times in the description so takedowns affect a smaller portion of content.
• Have a DMCA dispute template. Keep a boilerplate dispute response ready and attach your license. Include timestamps and license ID to speed processing.

How to build streamer playlists that stand out with South Asian indie music

South Asian indie music spans indie pop, electronic fusion, neo-classical, film-inspired instrumentals, and regional folk fusions. Use those textures thoughtfully to create playlists that feel fresh rather than background noise.

Playlist strategies

• Set a theme: e.g., “Low-key Lo-fi Bollywood mashups” for chill streams, or “High-energy Carnatic-electronic drops” for competitive play.
• Match tempo to content: 70–95 BPM for chatting/IRL, 100–140 BPM for high-intensity gaming.
• Place vocals strategically: Use instrumental or vocal-light tracks during game sounds/peak moments to maintain clarity in voice comms.
• Rotate exclusives: Negotiate short exclusives or premiere windows with indie artists via Madverse to create hype and cross-promotion opportunities.
• Create micro-sets: 20–30 minute playlists that loop cleanly—easier to license and less likely to cause repetitive clips flagged by automated systems.

Collaboration ideas that benefit streamers and artists

• Commission exclusive intros, stings, or level-up drops with a clear sync/master agreement.
• Host “artist nights” where you interview the musician, play their cleared catalogue, and include buy/stream links—artists get exposure; you get unique content.
• Offer a revenue split: artists may accept lower upfront sync fees in exchange for a % of clip revenue or channel sponsorships.

Technical setup and production tips

• Route music as a separate audio source in OBS so you can quickly mute or adjust levels during high-dialog moments.
• Use a simple sidechain compressor or ducking plugin so voice always sits above music without aggressive volume jumps.
• Normalize tracks to consistent loudness (-14 LUFS for streaming) to avoid sudden jumps when the playlist changes.
• Keep stems or instrumental versions in your arsenal—some artists will license stems if full vocals complicate clarity or rights.

Royalties and money: who gets paid and what streamers should expect

When you license a song via a publisher or directly from an artist, money and rights split into two streams:

• Publishing/composition royalties: Collected and administered by publishers (Kobalt in this partnership) and PROs; these pay songwriters and composers.
• Master recording royalties: Collected by the label or master owner (often the artist or Madverse for indie releases).

If you pay a direct sync fee to use a track, that typically covers the publisher’s sync rights; you still may need to clear the master separately. Kobalt’s admin role helps ensure composition royalties generated by platform plays are traced globally, which lowers friction for rights holders and increases transparency.

Risks and future trends (what to watch in 2026 and beyond)

• AI remixes: Using AI-generated remixes of South Asian tracks can create complex rights issues. Treat AI-derivative works cautiously and confirm rights with the original owners.
• Faster rights APIs: Expect more publishers to offer automated, short-form sync licenses for streaming via APIs in 2026—this partnership is a step toward that model.
• Platform whitelisting: Platforms may increasingly provide whitelists for channels that hold verified licenses—keep your paperwork ready to enroll.
• More regional catalogs becoming global: As more indie catalogs (South Asia, Africa, Latin America) are administered by global publishers, expect richer, more licensable libraries for creators.

Quick checklist: get a South Asian indie track cleared in 48–72 hours

1. Find track and note ISRC/metadata.
2. Email Madverse (or Kobalt if listed) with concise license request (use the form language above).
3. Request sync + master + whitelist; state platforms and VOD usage.
4. Negotiate fee and secure a signed license PDF.
5. Upload license to platform support if flagged; add credits/links to VOD description.

Hypothetical case study: a streamer uses Madverse-curated tracks legally

(Hypothetical scenario based on industry practice) Streamer “RheaPlays” wants indie Bengali electronic tracks for her late-night chill stream. She identifies three tracks on Madverse’s artist pages and emails Madverse with her usage details. Madverse confirms publishing administration through Kobalt for two tracks and owns the masters for all three. Rhea negotiates a 6-month non-exclusive sync + master license for VODs and clips, receives a signed PDF whitelist, and posts artist credits in her VOD descriptions. When a copyright match appears in YouTube’s Content ID, she attaches the license in the dispute and YouTube resolves the claim within 48 hours. Result: unique playlist, artist exposure, and no channel strikes.

Final notes and next steps

The Kobalt × Madverse partnership in 2026 is a meaningful win for streamers who want access to authentic South Asian indie music without the legal guesswork. The core takeaways: know which rights you need (sync + master + performance), insist on written licenses, and use the partnership as a pathway to contact publishers faster. Publishers will increasingly support creator-friendly licensing—your job is to ask for clear terms and keep the paperwork ready.

Call to action

Want a one-page checklist and email template you can use to license South Asian indie songs today? Download our free Streamer Licensing Kit and get a pre-filled license request example tailored to Kobalt/Madverse catalogs. If you need help clearing a specific track, send us the metadata and we’ll walk you through next steps.

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