A Creator’s Guide to International Publishing Partnerships: What Kobalt x Madverse Tells Indie Musicians

Stop losing royalties and time: what the Kobalt x Madverse partnership means for indie musicians in 2026

Independent artists and small labels repeatedly tell us the same things: “I don’t know who should collect my royalties abroad,” “I’m overwhelmed by paperwork,” and “I can’t tell if a regional partner is a gateway or a gatekeeper.” The announcement in January 2026 that Kobalt and India’s Madverse formed a publishing partnership sharpens that problem into an opportunity—if you know the questions to ask, the documents to prepare, and the negotiation points to insist on.

Variety reported on Jan 15, 2026 that Kobalt has partnered with Madverse to give South Asian independents access to Kobalt’s global publishing administration network.

Top-line takeaway (read first)

If you’re an indie musician or a small label in South Asia—or if you want your music to earn in South Asia—partnering with a regional company like Madverse that connects into a global administrator like Kobalt can unlock faster royalty collection and local marketing support. But don’t sign blind: insist on clear metadata practices, audit rights, transparent reporting, and defined territory and term limits. This article gives you a practical checklist and negotiation playbook you can use in 2026.

Why this matters in 2026: trends that make regional publishing deals essential

• Regional streaming scale: South Asia continued to be one of the fastest-growing streaming markets through late 2025, meaning uncaptured local plays translate to meaningful income.
• Fragmented rights and collections: DSPs, social platforms, and local broadcasters route royalties through local CMOs and sub-publishers—so global admin alone isn’t always enough.
• Metadata and tech front-loading: Advances in automated metadata validation and AI tooling in 2025–26 mean publishers who enforce metadata discipline get paid faster.
• More partnerships, more packaging: Major publishing companies are expanding via regional partners instead of building in every territory—which is good for scale but transfers negotiation risk to you.

How the Kobalt–Madverse model typically works (what to expect)

Based on industry norms and the public Kobalt x Madverse announcement, here’s the typical flow:

1. Madverse signs or identifies independent songwriters and producers in South Asia.
2. Madverse offers its clients access to Kobalt’s global publishing administration services—either as admin-only or under a sub-publishing relationship.
3. Kobalt uses its global network to register works with foreign collection societies, collect performance and mechanical royalties, and remit to Madverse, which then passes payments to the creators according to the agreed splits.

Practical paperwork checklist before you sign

Have these documents ready and signed—or request them from the partner—before granting any rights:

• Writer / Composer Agreement – clearly lists writers, splits, and IPI numbers.
• Publishing Agreement (Admin-only vs Co-Publishing vs Full) – defines role, fee, term, territory, and exclusivity.
• Split Authorization Form – signed by all co-writers and relevant parties to avoid split disputes.
• Power of Attorney or Limited Authorization – lets the admin register works with CMOs; keep this narrowly scoped and time-limited.
• Metadata and Registration Checklist – required fields: song title, writers, publishers, IPI/CAE numbers, ISWC, ISRC, UPC, release date, recording owner, and language/territory notes.
• Tax Forms – e.g., W-8BEN for U.S. withholding, or local tax forms for India; discuss withholding and double-tax treaties with a tax advisor.
• Banking and Currency Instructions
• Sync and License Templates – sample sync license or master use license so you can see how deals will be negotiated and split.
• Audit & Reporting Schedule

Royalty types you must understand

When negotiating, be precise about which income streams the partner will collect and remit:

• Performance royalties – collected by PROs (e.g., IPRS in India; others globally).
• Mechanical royalties – streaming and download mechanicals; note differing collection systems per territory (MLC in the U.S., local mechanical rights agencies elsewhere).
• Neighboring / related rights – performer and master-owner royalties for broadcasts and certain online uses.
• Sync fees – usually negotiated ad hoc and often split with publisher and master owner.
• Direct DSP advances and promotional payouts – some DSPs pay direct; clarify how these are handled.

Practical negotiation points and sample language

Use these negotiation points as your baseline. Copy the sample language into an email or contract redline and adapt to your situation.

1) Define the relationship: admin-only, co-pub, or full publishing

Ask the partner to confirm in writing whether the deal is administration-only (they register and collect but you keep the publishing shares) or co-publishing/full publishing (they take a portion of publishing ownership). Prefer admin-only unless you need advances or marketing services tied to ownership.

Sample ask: "This agreement is strictly administration-only: partner will register and collect on behalf of the publisher; publisher retains full publishing ownership and editorial control. No transfer of copyright is intended."

2) Fees and splits

• Admin fee ranges (typical): 10–20% of the publisher's share for admin-only services. Ask for the lower end for newer artists or limited services.
• Sub-publishing: if the partner acts as a sub-publisher locally, expect a sub-pub fee of 10–25% of the publisher's share. Negotiate whether that fee is deducted before or after Kobalt’s cut.
• Full publishing deals: common split is 50/50, but negotiate advances, recoupment, and reversion terms aggressively.

3) Term, territory, and reversion

• Limit initial terms to 3 years with automatic renewals only by mutual consent.
• For territory, favor a country list rather than “worldwide” if you want control elsewhere—Kobalt’s global reach may already cover territories you intend to serve directly.
• Include a reversion clause that returns rights after a set performance trigger (e.g., absent X revenue in Y months) or at contract end.

4) Reporting cadence and transparency

Ask for:

• Monthly or quarterly statements (quarterly is common; push for monthly if possible).
• Line-item statements per ISO standards with plays, territories, and splits.
• Access to a portal for real-time metadata and payout statuses.

5) Audit rights and timing

Standard clause: "Artist retains the right to audit the publisher’s books relevant to the artist’s account once every 12–24 months at artist’s expense, with costs recoverable if material underpayment is found (e.g., >5%)." Limit audit lookback to 36 months.

6) Metadata, ISWC/ISRC responsibility, and error remedies

Explicitly state who is responsible for registering ISWC, ISRC, IPI numbers, and keeping metadata current. Require a remediation SLA: e.g., corrections made within 30 days and back-payment for retroactive collections.

7) Reserve policy and unmatched royalties

Many admins hold a reserve for unmatched or disputed amounts. Define the reserve percentage and release schedule—e.g., "No more than 15% reserve; undisputed reserve amounts released within 12 months."

8) Currency conversion and bank fees

Specify payment currency and whether conversion fees are charged to you. If the partner pays in INR and you need USD, set a maximum conversion fee or require gross-up clauses.

9) Sync rights, approvals, and licensing fees

Maintain approval rights for sync licenses when you retain composition rights. If the partner has pre-clearance rights, require a defined approval window (e.g., 48–72 hours) and minimum fee thresholds for automatic approval.

Data and metadata checklist (copy before registration)

• Full writer names exactly as registered with PROs
• IPI/CAE numbers for all writers
• Publisher legal names and publisher IPI numbers
• Exact split percentages, signed by all writers
• ISWC for composition (or application in process)
• ISRC for master recording (one ISRC per master)
• UPC (product code) for releases/EPs/albums
• Release date and territory flags
• Language or alternate title variants used in other markets

Selecting a regional partner: due diligence checklist

Before you commit, research and document:

• Collection network: Which CMOs and DSPs do they have direct relationships with? For India, confirm ties to IPRS and PPL India.
• Transparency: Do they provide portal access and line-item reporting?
• Case studies: Can they show 2–3 artist case studies with verifiable results (improved collections, sync placements, market growth)?
• Tech stack and metadata governance: How do they validate metadata? Do they use automated matching tools or manual processes?
• Financial stability and payment cadence: What are payment timelines and reserve policies?
• References: Ask other artists for experiences—especially about speed of registration and disputes resolution. See a case study on vetting and partner outcomes.

Real-world before / after example

Before: An indie band from Mumbai uploaded tracks to DSPs, registered with a local digital distributor but didn’t register compositions properly with international PROs. Streams in the UK and U.S. were partially unmatched, and manual claims took 12+ months to resolve.

After enrolling through a local partner connecting to a global administrator, metadata was standardized, ISWCs were assigned, and unmatched plays were retroactively claimed. Payment velocity improved from annual lump-sum payments to quarterly statements, increasing cashflow for the band to invest in marketing.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Vague territory language: If the contract says "worldwide" they might register in territories you prefer to control. Specify exceptions.
• Implicit ownership transfer: Admin-only can be written in ways that slide into ownership. Keep clear language that no copyright is transferred.
• Unclear recoupment terms: If the partner advances money or pays for marketing, define whether and how those costs are recouped.
• Missing IPI or mismatched names: Small metadata errors cost real money. Check names, diacritics, and exact legal entities.

Actionable 30/60/90-day plan

First 30 days

• Gather IPI, ISWC (or apply), ISRCs, UPCs, and signed splits.
• Request the partner’s sample admin agreement and feed your lawyer/mentor.
• Map where your plays are coming from (top 5 territories) so you can prioritize rights.

Next 60 days

• Negotiate admin fee, reporting cadence, and audit rights.
• Confirm registration with local CMOs (e.g., IPRS in India) and global bodies.
• Set up tax paperwork (e.g., W-8BEN or local equivalents) to minimize withholding surprises.

By 90 days

• Validate first statement, check for accurate splits, and open an audit window if needed.
• Confirm portal access and start logging metadata corrections.
• Plan a sync pitching list with partner’s marketing team if included in services.

Final checklist to sign (one last look)

• Admin-only vs publishing transfer explicitly stated
• Fees spelled out with examples
• Audit rights and lookback period defined
• Term and reversion triggers present
• Metadata ownership and correction SLA
• Payment currency and conversion fee policy
• Tax and withholding guidance included
• Signed splits and IPI numbers attached

Parting advice — think like a publisher, act like an artist

Partnerships like Kobalt x Madverse are part of a larger 2026 trend: global publishers are leveraging trusted local partners to plug catalog gaps and give indie creators access to collection networks they can’t reach themselves. That’s an advantage—if you keep control of your metadata, demand transparency, and retain the right to audit and reclaim rights if the partnership underdelivers.

Practical habits that pay off:

• Keep a single canonical metadata file for every release and update it whenever a split or credit changes.
• Maintain an expiration calendar for contracts and option/renewal deadlines.
• Log every conversation, negotiation point, and promised deliverable—emails are your record when disputes arise.

Resources & next steps

Want the exact redline language and fillable litigation-free templates for the items above? Download our negotiation checklist and sample admin contract templates tailored for indie musicians working with regional partners in 2026. If you’d like a professional contract review, submit your agreement confidentially and get a prioritized list of negotiation changes you can present to a partner.

Call to action

Get our free “International Publishing Partnership Checklist” and a 30-minute contract checklist call with a publishing mentor. Click to download the checklist and schedule your review—don’t let avoidable metadata or vague contract terms cost you royalties this year.

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