Daboo Malik Addresses Royalty Debate, Says Artists Can’t Be Compared to Music Labels
MUMBAI — Music composer Daboo Malik has weighed in on the ongoing debate over royalties in the music industry, acknowledging concerns raised by his son, singer-composer Amaal Mallik, while emphasizing the structural differences between artists and music companies.
In a recent conversation, Daboo Malik said that while artists deserve fair compensation, the economics of the industry make it difficult to equate their earnings with those of major labels.
“Today, we also run our own music label, and it’s not easy. There are many factors involved. I understand that when an artist achieves international success or has a viral song globally, the earnings can be very high. But here, the structure is different,” he said.
He explained that although independent artists in India can earn significant royalties, the scale of revenue generated by music companies reflects their larger investments and infrastructure.
“If you succeed in independent music today, you are still earning substantial royalties. Artists are making crores through royalties. However, these earnings can never be equal to a music company’s revenue because their investment and system are much larger,” he added.
At the same time, Malik expressed optimism that the industry is evolving toward a more balanced system.
“In the coming era, everyone will get a better and more equal share of royalties,” he said.
The discussion follows recent comments by Amaal Mallik, who said that despite one of his songs going viral and generating significant revenue for a music label, he earned only about Rs 1.5 lakh. He said the label likely made crores from the track and expressed disappointment with the current royalty structure. (Source: IANS)
