Kobalt x Madverse: What a New South Asian Publishing Pipeline Means for TV & Film Soundtracks

Hit the global stage: Why Kobalt x Madverse matters now

Missing out on global TV and streaming syncs because of administration, metadata gaps, or opaque royalty flows? That’s the pain point this new partnership aims to solve. On Jan. 15, 2026, Kobalt announced a worldwide publishing deal with India’s Madverse Music Group, creating a direct pipeline from South Asian independent composers and artists into Kobalt’s global publishing administration. For TV & film music teams hungry for authentic South Asian soundtracks and for creators who want reliable pay and placement opportunities, this is a watershed moment.

Quick summary (most important first)

• What: Kobalt’s global publishing network + Madverse’s South Asian indie roster.
• Why it matters: Streamlines royalty collection, sync licensing, and international placement for South Asian music on TV and streaming projects.
• Who benefits: South Asian composers, music supervisors, showrunners, and rights managers looking for authentic, cleared music with global admin backing.

Variety reported the deal as a move to give Madverse’s songwriters, composers and producers access to Kobalt’s publishing administration and royalty collection in dozens of territories.

The change in context: 2024–2026 and why timing is critical

Late 2025 and early 2026 accelerated trends that make this partnership far more than a regional distribution play. Global streaming platforms have doubled down on South Asian stories and language-first content. Simultaneously, music supervisors are actively sourcing regionally authentic sonic palettes to anchor those narratives. At the same time, the sync market is more data-driven: metadata, ISRCs/ISWCs, cue sheets and transparent royalty flows now determine whether a placement becomes a sustainable income stream or a one-off payday.

That environment rewards publishers who can both discover fresh talent and ensure their works get properly administered and monetized across multiple performance rights organizations (PROs), neighboring rights societies, and digital service providers (DSPs). Kobalt brings that global admin infrastructure; Madverse brings the creative pipeline. Together they close the loop.

How the partnership can open South Asian music to TV & streaming syncs

1. Faster, cleaner clearances for supervisors

One of the single biggest friction points for placing South Asian tracks in international productions is clearance complexity—multiple writers, sample usage, ambiguous splits and inconsistent metadata. Kobalt’s publishing administration standardizes ownership data and can produce clean split documentation and licensing terms quickly. For music supervisors on tight schedules, that speed is often the difference between a placement and a pass.

2. Reliable global royalty collection

Sync fees are only the upfront. The real long-term value for composers is in performance royalties and digital streaming payouts that accrue worldwide. Kobalt’s collection network spans hundreds of territories and CMOs, reducing leakage and ensuring songwriters and composers get paid when a show streams internationally, is broadcast, or is performed publicly.

3. Metadata hygiene and discoverability

Accurate metadata—ISWC, ISRC, complete split sheets, genre, mood, language, and instrumentation tags—makes tracks discoverable in music supervisor searches and DSP discovery algorithms. Madverse’s on-the-ground curation plus Kobalt’s metadata systems mean South Asian tracks can surface in supervisor searches faster and more reliably.

4. Cultural authenticity with legal certainty

Global productions demand authentic voices, but producers also want legal certainty. This partnership lets supervisors license region-specific music with the legal clarity of a global publisher backing each deal—vital in cross-border co-productions and multi-territory releases.

What this means for different stakeholders

For South Asian composers & artists

• Access to international sync pitching pipelines and music supervisor relationships managed or facilitated by Kobalt.
• Improved royalty flows (performance royalties, mechanicals, digital) through global admin.
• Clearer ownership records and proactive rights management—less time chasing unpaid royalties and more time composing.

For music supervisors and showrunners

• Faster clearance timelines and fewer rights headaches when licensing South Asian music.
• Wider choice: both contemporary indie music and traditional hybrid scoring options delivered in broadcast-ready stems.
• Confidence that placements will be tracked and royalties will flow post-release, especially for global streaming windows.

For studios, platforms and labels

• Streamlined legal frameworks for multi-territory exploitation.
• Improved catalog management for international content that integrates South Asian compositions into global metadata systems.

Practical, actionable advice: How composers should prepare to take advantage

If you’re a composer or songwriter in South Asia, this partnership creates new opportunities—but you still need to be ready when they knock. Below are practical steps to make your work sync-ready and maximally monetizable.

1. Get metadata right from day one

1. Always assign ISRCs for recordings and register ISWCs for compositions.
2. Use consistent, searchable spellings for artist and writer names (avoid pseudonyms that vary across platforms).
3. Include language, mood, tempo, instrumentation and explicit cue usage notes in your metadata.

2. Use proper split sheets and register them with your publisher/PRO

Even simple co-writes can become disputes later. Maintain dated, signed split sheets, and upload them immediately to your publisher or admin partner. If you’re joining Madverse’s roster, ensure splits are clearly documented before any Kobalt admin takes effect.

3. Deliver game-ready stems and broadcast mixes

Supervisors often want stems for editability. Make 3–6 stems (e.g., drums, bass, keys, lead, bed, FX) and provide a full high-res mix. Tag stems with timecode-friendly naming conventions so editors can drop them into timelines without extra engineering work.

4. Know your rights: samples, interpolations and clearances

If your track includes samples or interpolations, pursue clearances proactively. Ambiguity kills sync deals; being able to present sample clearance documentation dramatically increases your chances of placement.

5. Build and promote sync-ready reels

Create short, scene-specific reels (15–60 seconds) tagged by mood and tempo. Upload them to platforms frequented by supervisors, and ensure they are discoverable through Kobalt/Madverse channels once you’re on the roster.

6. Register with local and international collection societies

Join national CMOs (Indian creators typically register with IPRS; recordings can be tracked via PPL or similar neighboring rights bodies) and ensure your publishing admin (like Kobalt) has up-to-date registration info for international collection.

Actionable guidance for music supervisors and producers

Supervisors can leverage this partnership to diversify soundtracks without the typical friction. Here’s how:

• Work with Kobalt/Madverse to request pre-cleared catalogs and curated playlists by mood, language, and scene type.
• Ask for stems and alternate versions (instrumental, short edit) up front to speed up editorial timelines.
• Specify licensing windows and territories clearly—Kobalt can support multi-territory license execution and post-release royalty tracking.
• Budget for cultural consultation and translation for authentic placements, particularly when lyrics or sampled vocal passages have cultural specificity.

Royalty mechanics: What to expect post-placement

Understanding the flow of revenue helps set expectations for clients and creators. A typical sync placement generates:

• Upfront sync fee — negotiated one-time payment to the publisher/composer for the license.
• Performance royalties — collected by PROs when the show broadcasts or streams publicly. Kobalt’s admin ensures foreign PROs report and pay correctly.
• Neighboring rights — in many territories, performers and master owners receive payments for public broadcasts/streams; Kobalt can help route those to recording rightsholders via partner societies.
• Mechanical royalties — applicable when recordings are reproduced (less common for pure streaming but relevant for downloads, physicals, or cover versions).

The key is that sync is rarely a single-income event. With robust admin, creators can expect a sustained, multi-channel revenue stream as shows release across territories and windows. That’s the operational upside Kobalt’s infrastructure provides to Madverse’s roster.

Risks and unresolved questions — and how to mitigate them

No partnership is a silver bullet. Here are potential pitfalls and mitigation strategies:

• Risk: Data transfer and legacy catalog inconsistencies. Mitigation: Creators should audit catalogs, fix metadata, and provide master documentation up front.
• Risk: AI and synthetic music complicating rights. Mitigation: Insist on clear contract language about AI use and derivative rights before signing or licensing.
• Risk: Cultural misappropriation in placements. Mitigation: Supervisors should hire cultural consultants and prioritize authentic collaboration with composers.

Future predictions: Where this could lead by 2028

Looking ahead, this deal could catalyze a few industry shifts by 2028:

1. Normalization of South Asian scoring teams on global shows. More shows will credit composers from South Asia for series-wide scoring roles, not just single-track placements.
2. Hybrid catalogs that fuse traditional textures and modern production. Expect curated libraries tailored specifically for cross-cultural narratives and regional language releases.
3. Greater transparency in international royalty flows. With major admins consolidating, collection leakage should shrink and payment cycles shorten.
4. New sync product offerings — pre-cleared bundles aimed at streamers producing multi-territory releases, making last-minute licensing efficient and cheaper.

Checklist: Getting ready for the Kobalt–Madverse era

• Audit and clean metadata across all catalogs.
• Digitize and upload split sheets and clearance docs.
• Create scene-specific reels and stems with clear licensing notes.
• Register with national CMOs and provide Kobalt with current contact/rights data.
• Build relationships with local music supervisors and international networks.

Final takeaways

The Kobalt x Madverse partnership is more than a distribution deal; it’s infrastructure that can turn South Asian creative output into globally monetizable soundtrack assets. For creators, it reduces administrative drag and unlocks international placements. For supervisors, it provides authenticated access to a rich pool of regional talent with legal certainty and cleaner metadata.

As streaming platforms continue to commission culturally specific stories in 2026 and beyond, the first teams to master the technical and legal side of sync—metadata hygiene, stem delivery, split documentation, and proactive rights management—will reap the benefits of repeat placements and ongoing royalty income. This partnership lowers the barrier; the rest comes down to preparation and proactivity.

Call to action

If you’re a South Asian composer or music supervisor ready to work smarter in 2026, start now: audit your catalog, standardize your metadata, and reach out to Madverse to understand how Kobalt’s global admin can be applied to your catalog. Want practical help? Join our upcoming one-hour webinar where we’ll walk through a sync-ready checklist, live metadata remediation tips, and a Q&A with a Kobalt admin executive. Sign up below and bring a track for live feedback—spaces are limited.

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