Sonu Nigam and Anup Jalota Celebrate as ISAMRA Distributes ₹100 Crore in Royalties
In a historic milestone for the Indian music industry, the Indian Singers And Musicians Rights Association (ISAMRA) has announced the distribution of ₹100 crore in royalties to 26,000 singers and musicians. Legendary singers Sonu Nigam and Anup Jalota, along with ISAMRA founder Sanjay Tandon, marked the occasion by reflecting on the long battle for artists’ financial dignity and the recognition of their creative contributions.
Sonu Nigam described the achievement as a “quiet victory” that restores a sense of dignity to performers who have long been disconnected from the commercial value of their work. On this emotional occasion, he noted that he was reminded of his iconic song ‘Kal Ho Naa Ho’, explaining that the moment felt like a long-overdue acknowledgment of what truly matters to artists. Anup Jalota added that the move is about more than just money—it is about the respect and blessing of finally being recognized as the “soul of music” in India.
The journey to this nine-figure distribution began modestly in June 2024, when ISAMRA handed out its very first royalty payment of just ₹51,000 for the classic song ‘Lag Jaa Gale’. Sanjay Tandon highlighted that building the system from scratch without existing data was a massive challenge. Moving from thousands to ₹100 crore has successfully turned the theory of performers’ rights into a global reality, proving that an artist’s contribution has value far beyond the initial applause.
The leaders also addressed the rising influence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in music. Sonu Nigam expressed concerns regarding voice cloning without consent, emphasizing that technology should support creativity rather than exploit it. ISAMRA is currently working on legal frameworks to ensure that if a voice generates value through AI, the artist remains the owner of that usage and receives fair compensation. For the association, the principle remains simple: consent and compensation must be non-negotiable in the digital age.
