Brands Rush To Secure Music Licences As IPL Season Highlights Copyright Compliance

As the Indian Premier League season kicks off, brands across sectors are rapidly prioritising music licensing, signalling a shift in how intellectual property is managed in large-scale marketing campaigns.

From IPL franchises to fashion labels, D2C startups, FMCG players, and e-commerce platforms, companies are increasingly ensuring that every piece of music used in promotional content is properly licensed. The urgency has been driven by a mix of stricter enforcement by music labels and the rising financial and legal risks of non-compliance.

A recent high-profile case involving Chennai Super Kings highlighted the stakes. The franchise received a legal notice from Sun TV for allegedly using music from films featuring Rajinikanth without proper authorisation in a promotional campaign. The matter escalated to the Madras High Court, with claims seeking damages and disclosure of campaign revenues.

The incident has sent a clear signal across the industry: music licensing is no longer a backend formality but a frontline business priority. As Gaurav Dagaonkar, CEO and co-founder of Hoopr, noted, if a major IPL franchise can face legal action over a single track, no brand is immune.

Beyond isolated disputes, industry insiders suggest that hundreds of similar cases occur annually, often settled quietly. However, the growing visibility of such incidents is pushing brands to proactively secure rights rather than risk reputational and financial fallout.

Adding to the pressure is the advancement of content identification technologies. Music companies and independent labels now deploy systems that can detect unauthorised usage across social media platforms in real time,even when tracks are altered or layered,making it increasingly difficult for brands to bypass licensing norms.

The timing is significant. With IPL campaigns rolling out at scale across digital platforms, a single piece of unlicensed music can quickly multiply across hundreds of posts, amplifying legal exposure. In this environment, music licensing has moved from a compliance checkbox to a critical pillar of campaign strategy.

As India’s advertising and entertainment ecosystems continue to converge, the IPL season is once again proving to be more than just a sporting spectacle,it is a stress test for how brands navigate creativity, compliance, and the growing value of music rights.