Warner Chappell Music (WCM), the global publishing arm of Warner Music Group (WMG), has launched direct operations in India, transitioning from its sub-publishing model to a full-scale, direct-to-market presence. According to reports from Mint, this strategic move enables Indian artists to benefit from international collaborations, a global creative network, rights management infrastructure, and faster, more efficient licensing processes. Jay Mehta, who has served as managing director of Warner Music India since its 2020 launch, will lead the new division in his expanded role as managing director, recorded music and publishing, India and SAARC at WMG.
Warner Music India Pvt Ltd generated a revenue of ₹473 crore for the financial year ended March 31, 2025, as per Tracxn data reported by Mint. The Indian music segment, measured as revenues earned by music labels from licensing and other income, grew 10% to reach ₹5,900 crore in 2025. Music streaming reached an audience of approximately 178 million who heard 5.8 trillion streams during the year, representing a 15% growth over 2024. The paid subscriber base grew to reach 14 million, marking a 37% growth over 2024, driven by significant efforts by music platforms to disincentivize free music consumption.
To support this growth, WCM India songwriters will have exclusive access to a creative studio within the company's Mumbai headquarters. As reported by Mint, by moving to direct operations, WCM will provide its international roster and local signees with creative and rights management services, enhanced digital licensing capabilities, and a dedicated on-the-ground team in Mumbai. Indian songwriters and catalogue partners will also have full access to WCM's proprietary technology and administration infrastructure, including Global Match, WCM's AI-driven royalty matching tool, the Client Portal for real-time visibility into earnings and catalog performance, and Pulse, WCM's client app developed in direct partnership with songwriters.
Warner, which works closely with names such as King, Karan Aujla and Diljit Dosanjh in India, aims to establish itself as one of the top three music labels in terms of market share. According to the Ficci EY media and entertainment report 2026, revenues from music artist management and branded income grew 12% over 2024. Independent (non-film) music generated 43% of streams in 2025, with Hindi dominating 59% of total music consumption, followed by Punjabi (9%), Tamil (7%), Telugu (6%) and other regional languages. Mehta noted that this move will result in positive changes including sophisticated rights management and licensing, with better access to global data, infringement and monetization processes.
