What 2026 Holds For India’s Music Industry: A Year Of Reckoning, Reset And Real Value
If the last few years in Indian music felt loud, crowded and algorithm-heavy, 2026 may finally be the year the industry pauses, recalibrates and grows up.
From an explosion of releases and creator noise to deeper questions around sustainability, monetisation and fairness, the Indian music business is entering what many leaders are calling a defining phase. Not just of growth, but of reckoning.
“2026 is the turning point for music,the year of reckoning for an industry undergoing deep change,” says Mandar Thakur, CEO, Times Music.
“There’s been a lot of loud noise in the marketplace. This year, ideally, will be creativity-led,as opposed to similar-sounding, random drops of music that have plagued us over the last couple of years.”
At Kala Ghoda, Original And Folk Music Take Centre Stage
As the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival spotlights India’s original and folk traditions, the conversation is shifting from celebration alone to sustainability.
For Rakesh Nigam, CEO of the Indian Performing Right Society, festivals like Kala Ghoda are not just cultural gatherings, they are economic bridges. They bring regional and independent creators into visible, respected spaces where authenticity thrives beyond algorithm-driven platforms.
But visibility without value, he argues, is fragile.
Licensing, fair compensation and rights awareness must move alongside applause. As public performances grow across cities, IPRS has intensified compliance efforts, reinforcing that music used commercially must lawfully reward its creators.
“Celebration and protection are not separate,” Nigam maintains. “When music generates value, that value must flow back to the people who create it.”
In a year where India’s cultural calendar feels bigger than ever, Kala Ghoda reflects a larger shift: original and folk music are no longer peripheral. They are central — culturally, creatively and economically.
‘Royalties are not perks; they are the foundation of a creator’s livelihood’
India’s music industry is riding a historic growth wave, with creator revenues rising 40.5% in 2024 to EUR 80.5 million, according to the CISAC Global Collections Report 2025. The report ranks India among the fastest-growing music markets globally, driven largely by the explosive rise of streaming and digital consumption. Yet, industry leaders caution that this success masks a deep structural imbalance, one that could limit the long-term sustainability of the creative economy. Composer and IPRS board member Salim Merchant underlined the stakes for creators, saying, “Royalties are not perks they are the rightful earnings for the music we create. For lyricists and composers, these revenues allow us to focus fully on our craft and create without limitations.”
Black Sapphire Makes History At Kala Ghoda 2026
Goa’s Black Sapphire became the first Goan band to perform at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2026, taking a full Konkani set to the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) Stage in Mumbai.
Featuring Alison Gonsalves (lead vocals, songwriter), Ancy Gonsalves (vocals), Anthony “Jr. Chico” (drums), Cyrus Fernandes (bass), Cio Carvalho (keys), and Brendon Monteiro (lead guitar), the band performed 45 minutes of entirely original music, along with select traditional folk favourites like “Ya Ya Maya Ya.”
For Alison, the moment was about representation. “We were surprised by how people connected, even those who didn’t speak Konkani,” he shared, describing an interactive set where audiences sang along to “Rosalina” and “Mog Zala.”
For Ancy, the performance was deeply personal — years after attending the festival as a college student from Carmel College, she returned to the same stage as a performer. “If you’re chasing a dream, let this be a reminder that the stage is yours to own,” she said.
According to IPRS, the stage was created to spotlight original and regional music on a national platform — a mission Black Sapphire embodied with pride.
Next, the band is set to release an eight-track album celebrating Goan music, culture and cuisine, beginning with the single “Rosalina.”
India Govt Launches JWG with Live Events Industry; BookMyShow, District, Wizcraft Join Mission for 20M Jobs by 2030
The Government of India has formally initiated a structured dialogue to boost the country’s fast-growing live events and concert economy, with the first meeting of the Joint Working Group (JWG) convened in the capital under the chairmanship of Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB).
The JWG, constituted in July 2025 under the direction of Union Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, aims to position India among the Top 5 global live entertainment destinations by 2030, with the potential to generate 15–20 million jobs and drive growth in infrastructure, tourism, and cultural soft power.