Music cos crack down on influencers violating copyright

A reckoning may be coming for India's booming influencer economy as music labels crack down on the rampant and unauthorised use of copyrighted music on platforms such as Instagram.

- Pratishtha Bagai & Gaurav Laghate

MUMBAI: The warning: stop using chartbusters for brand-sponsored content without proper licenses or face takedowns, legal action, and hefty fines.

Despite Meta's clear policies restricting the use of licensed music to non-commercial posts, influencers routinely embed trending tracks into branded Reels, often to game the algorithm and boost reach. But music companies have had enough.

"Yes, it is unlawful for influencers to use published songs in promotional or sponsored posts on social media without proper clearance," said Viral Jani, chief revenue officer at Universal Music Group India and South Asia. "When influencers use music in organic, day-to-day content, it usually falls within the platform's UGC (user-generated content) licence. But the moment a brand is involved—through a paid promotion, product placement or endorsement—that becomes commercial use, and a separate licence is required."