Millions of reels are created every day across social media platforms in India, but a large share of music used commercially remains unlicensed.
ContentLens estimates that the Indian music industry is losing more than ₹350 crore annually in sync revenue due to unlicensed commercial use of music catalogues. The estimate is based on revenue-at-risk assessments conducted with leading music labels.
Platform tracks unlicensed use
A year ago, ContentLens began helping music labels identify where their tracks were being used across social media and streaming platforms. The platform provides timestamps and financial profiles of entities using the music.
Its patent-applied IP Detection Engine goes beyond conventional audio matching and manual searches. It can identify slowed versions, remixes and unauthorised covers that can evade traditional detection systems.
Enforcement service completes process
Four leading Indian labels and one international major are currently using the platform to strengthen detection and recover lost sync revenues.
ContentLens is now expanding its offering with a fully managed Enforcement Service. The company claims it handles music rights violations from identification through formal notices, negotiations and settlement on behalf of the label.
Revenue recovery gains focus
Two labels have already signed up for the detection-to-settlement service.
One large label estimated that ₹18 crore of its annual sync revenue was at risk from social media infringements alone. ContentLens extrapolated the exposure across the Indian music industry using revenue market-share estimates.
Global exposure estimated at $1 billion
Globally, the company estimates the problem is substantially larger. With the recorded music industry valued at about $31 billion, ContentLens estimates unlicensed social media usage could account for around $1 billion in lost sync revenue annually.
The company said the loss remains largely invisible because labels have lacked tools to identify, quantify and pursue such infringements at scale.
Labels move towards recovery
“We spent the last year proving our technology works at scale. Across the top 100 songs a label gives us, we detect 80-100 infringing videos every month, 98% of them clearly unlicensed. Today we are closing the loop from formal notices to negotiations and settlements, entirely managed by ContentLens on the label’s behalf,” said ContentLens, Founder & CEO Rohan Sahu.
“Every label head I speak to knows their music is being used without permission. Nobody had a way to prove it, quantify it, or act on it. ContentLens has spent the last year doing exactly that with five leading labels,” said ContentLens, Strategic Advisor and former CEO, Tips Music, Hari Nair.