Recipe: join IPRS and register your songs as an Indian songwriter

The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) is the copyright society that collects public performance royalties for Indian lyricists, composers and publishers. Its public notice on enrolment says it is registered by the Government of India under Section 33 of the Copyright Act, 1957. This recipe follows IPRS's own documents, step by step. Fees were seen on 26 Oct 2026.

Before you start

• A released song. The member portal guide says at least one musical or literary work must be released or published before you can become a member.
• For non-film songs, proof it is out. IPRS's form guidelines list four criteria: an internet presence, a YouTube release, a release on a streaming service or aggregator, or a physical CD. You should meet at least two; otherwise the Membership Committee decides at its discretion.
• Scanned documents: PAN card (mandatory), Aadhaar, address proof if your communication address differs, a passport-style photo, and a bank passbook or statement. The portal guide says to enter your name as it appears on your PAN; the system validates the PAN's format.
• If you belong to a foreign society (PRS, ASCAP and so on), the portal guide says you need a no-objection certificate from it excluding India.

The steps

1. Register on the portal. Open the online application from IPRS's membership page (we could not load it today; the link is from IPRS's public notice). Pick Individual, then your role: Author (Music Composer), Author (Lyricist), or both. Time: a few minutes.
2. Verify your email within 72 hours. The portal guide says verification lapses if you do not act in that window.
3. Fill in your profile: personal details, alias or trade name, addresses, GST number only if you are GST-registered, and bank details, which IPRS uses to pay royalties.
4. Notify your songs (work notification). For each song the portal asks for the song name, film or non-film album name, language, category (Film, Non-Film, Film background, TV background), singer, the composer, lyricist and publisher names, year of release, a link to the release (Apple, YouTube, JioSaavn, Gaana and so on) and a screenshot or CD inlay showing the credits. Every field is mandatory. Add songs one at a time.
5. Upload documents. Readable scans; the guide says selfies and angled photos are not accepted.
6. Pay the fee through the HDFC payment gateway. You get an email and SMS confirming submission.
7. Wait for scrutiny. The membership department checks the file and sends it to the Membership Committee for provisional approval. IPRS does not publish how long this takes.
8. Sign the legal papers within 15 days. IPRS posts you the Assignment Deed and Indemnity Bond. If they are not signed and returned within 15 days of receipt, the guide says the application is invalid and the fee is not refunded.
9. Get your admittance letter. The form guidelines say IPRS sends a copy of the signed Assignment Deed with a Member Admittance Letter.

What it costs

Source: the portal guide, seen 26 Oct 2026. The public notice confirms ₹1,200 and ₹2,200 and says "there are no additional charges or costs involved". Fees for foreign nationals differ; IPRS points to its website for those.

Watch out for agents

The same notice says IPRS does not deal with agents or middlemen who promise to get you membership, and will not accept applications, fees or work registrations made by third parties. Its membership team guides applicants "AT NO COST". Contact: membership@iprs.org. Anyone charging you to "get you into IPRS" is selling something IPRS gives free.

What we think

The money is not the hurdle; ₹1,200 is less than many plugin upgrades. The real cost is paperwork and one hard deadline. Two things to plan for. First, the 15-day window for the deed is the step most likely to sink an application, because it arrives by post after provisional approval; make sure your correspondence address is one where someone will open the envelope. Second, read the assignment before you sign: the application form says you assign IPRS the public performing and mechanical rights in your works, including future works. That is how collective licensing works, but it is a long commitment, and a songwriter who self-releases should decide deliberately whether to also join as a publisher at ₹3,400. Our advice: get two releases live on streaming and YouTube first, so the non-film criteria are not in doubt, then apply.

One caveat: the portal guide PDF was created in January 2020 and the form guidelines still mention demand drafts, while the guide describes online payment. Check the live portal for the current flow before you pay.