How to Pitch Your South Asian Catalog for Global Royalties After the Kobalt–Madverse Deal

Hook: Stop leaving global royalties on the table

If you write, produce, or manage South Asian music, you know the frustration: songs used on TikTok, Reels, and global playlists that generate streams and engagements — but the checks never fully reflect that activity. The Kobalt–Madverse deal announced in January 2026 opens a fast track to global publishing admin for South Asian creators. But access alone won’t turn plays into paydays. You need a catalog that’s pitch-ready: perfect metadata, clean registrations, airtight splits, and compact pitch materials that make Kobalt’s global network say "take it."

"Kobalt Partners With India’s Madverse to Expand Publishing Reach" — Variety, Jan 15, 2026

This tactical guide shows exactly how to prepare your songs and catalog so Kobalt’s network (via Madverse) can collect every possible royalty worldwide — streaming, mechanicals, performance, sync, and neighboring rights — and how to package that catalog in short-form-friendly pitch materials that sell.

The 2026 context you need to know

In 2026 the global royalty landscape is shaped by three trends that matter for South Asian catalogs:

• Short-form monetization maturity: Platforms (TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts) expanded licensing payouts and reporting transparency in late 2024–2025. Usage drives sync and performance claims faster than ever.
• Metadata and ID focus: Rights holders who standardized metadata and identifiers (ISRC, ISWC, DDEX-ready files) saw faster collections and fewer dispute holdbacks.
• Regional partnerships scale: Deals like Kobalt–Madverse (Jan 2026) mean global admins want high-quality South Asian catalogs but will prioritize works that are clean, registered, and pitchable.

What Kobalt’s Madverse partnership means — in plain terms

The partnership gives Madverse’s creators access to Kobalt’s publishing administration and royalty collection network worldwide. For creators, that means:

• Potential access to a larger international royalty collection engine.
• Faster dispute resolution when metadata is accurate.
• Better placement opportunities for sync and catalogue exploitation through global pitch channels.

But volume of access does not equal revenue. Admins prioritize catalogs that require minimal cleanup. Below is the exact tactical workflow top labels and songwriters use to convert access into higher royalty collection.

Overview: The 6-step pitch-ready workflow

1. Audit & clean catalog metadata
2. Standardize identifiers (ISRCs, ISWCs) and file formats
3. Register works with PROs and neighboring rights societies
4. Create split-sheets and upload accurate share data
5. Build short-form-first pitch materials
6. Deliver to admin (Kobalt/Madverse) with a monitoring plan

Step 1 — Audit & clean catalog metadata (the highest leverage step)

Metadata issues are the single biggest cause of lost royalties. Begin with a catalog audit using a central spreadsheet or a metadata tool. If you only do one thing from this guide, do this.

Key fields to audit and normalize:

• Track Title — Include primary language, alternate titles, and transliterations (e.g., "Tum Hi Ho / तुम ही हो").
• Primary Artist — Use a canonical artist name across every platform.
• Featuring / Remix credits — Use consistent separators (feat. vs ft.).
• ISRC — Must be present and accurate for each recording.
• ISWC — Work identifier for the composition; critical for publishing.
• Writer/Composer/Publisher names — Full legal names and known-as names; include IPI numbers where available.
• Language, explicitness, BPM, key, mood tags — These boost sync discoverability and short-form pairing.
• Release date, territory restrictions, original version flag — Important for mechanicals and territorial claims.
• Sample & clearance notes — Note sample sources and clearances status to speed sync offers.

Practical tips:

• Use a single master spreadsheet (Google Sheets or Airtable) and lock column headers — this mirrors the approach in modern publishing workflows.
• Run fuzzy matching (artist/title) to detect duplicates or alternate spellings.
• Capture platform-specific IDs (Spotify URI, Apple Music ID, YouTube Content ID) in your sheet.

Step 2 — Standardize identifiers: ISRC, ISWC, and more

Identifiers are the plumbing of royalty systems. When admins can’t match an audio file to its composition, royalties hang in limbo.

• ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) — Every unique sound recording needs one. If your distributor assigned ISRCs, verify them against your master sheet. If not, obtain them through your national ISRC agency or a distributor that issues them.
• ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) — Assigns an ID to the composition. Ensure every unique composition in your catalog has an ISWC and that it’s registered with your PRO.
• DDEX & metadata packages — Prepare DDEX-style XML/BIF exports if possible. Kobalt’s systems consume these; clean DDEX submissions reduce reconciliation time.

Quick verification checklist:

• Does every recording in your catalog have an ISRC?
• Does every composition have an ISWC and a PRO registration?
• Do ISRCs and ISWCs appear in your DSP metadata and distributor reports?

Step 3 — Register works with PROs and neighboring rights societies

Publishing admin works best when local registrations are done first. For South Asian creators, this means registering compositions with the local PRO (e.g., IPRS in India) and neighboring rights collections where applicable.

Actions:

• Register each composition with your local PRO and collect the registration reference numbers.
• Register recordings with neighboring rights societies (SoundExchange in the U.S., PPL in the UK, and local equivalents) to capture public performance and broadcast revenues.
• Register with international collecting bodies if you have co-writers or publishers in other territories — note their IPI/CAE numbers.

Why this matters: Many global admins will not pick up mechanical claims or distribute royalties until local PRO registrations are present. Registration equals visibility in claims feeds.

Step 4 — Split-sheets, share audits, and the art of “who owns what”

Missing or inaccurate splits create admin delays and disputes. Create clean split documentation before pitching.

What you must include in split documentation:

• Writer/composer names and IPI numbers.
• Exact percentage shares (composition and publishing shares), expressed to at least four decimal places when possible.
• Publisher names and publisher IDs (if applicable).
• Signed split-sheets from all parties or digital equivalents (email confirmations with explicit percentages are acceptable if signed docs are not possible).

Pro tip: Use a canonical split file (PDF) and a matching CSV row in your catalog spreadsheet. Kobalt and other admins appreciate machine-readable splits for fast ingestion.

Step 5 — Build short-form-first pitch materials

Admins and sync teams increasingly evaluate catalogs through the lens of short-form platforms. Make it super-easy for curators and sync teams to preview and license content.

Essential pitch kit elements:

• One-sheet catalog summary — 1 page per release/EP with highlights: top-performing tracks, monthly listeners, key territories, and short-form usage stats (TikTok creations, trends).
• 30-second hook clips — Provide loop-ready 20–30s clips (stems optional) labeled with timecodes and suggested use cases (dance, transition, comedy, montage). For approaches to clip-first packaging and repurposing, see hybrid clip architectures.
• Metadata pack — CSV or DDEX export with all fields listed earlier (ISRC, ISWC, writers, splits, BPM, key, languages, mood tags).
• Clearance & sample notes — One line per track: "Cleared / Pending / Contains third-party sample (owner: X)."
• Artist & songwriter bios — Short, trend-savvy bios with audience demographics and past sync highlights.
• Usage examples — Short-form videos demonstrating natural uses of tracks (UGC & editorial examples, 15–60s). If you’re building short-form assets for livestreams, review live stream strategies for DIY creators for practical file naming and clip lengths.

Formatting rules that help your pitch cut through:

• Use PNG/JPEG covers sized for mobile preview (2:3 or 1:1 square).
• Name audio files: Artist - Title [ISRC] - 30s Hook.mp3
• Keep pack size < 200MB for email delivery; use a single zipped folder with an index file.

Step 6 — Deliver to Kobalt/Madverse and set a monitoring plan

When handing off to Kobalt (via Madverse), follow their intake requirements exactly. If you can, give them the DDEX-like exports; if not, a clean CSV + split-sheets + WAV files will do. Treat the handoff like a product delivery — see modular publishing workflows for tips on deliverables and templates-as-code.

Post-delivery: set up a 90-day monitoring plan.

• Week 1–2: Confirm ingestion and error report from Kobalt/Madverse.
• Month 1: Request a reconciliation report on mismatches or holdbacks.
• Month 3: Review initial collections and disputes — iterate metadata fixes and resubmit if necessary.

Advanced strategies: squeeze more royalties from each track

1. Optimize for short-form discoverability

Short-form teams look for immediate hooks. Tag your clips with suggested use-case keywords (dance, transition, Indian wedding, lo-fi study). Include a 15s edit and a 30s hook. Provide stems (vocal, drums, bass) where possible to encourage creator use and remixes — portable recording kits and stems-friendly workflows dramatically increase repurposeability.

2. Localize metadata for global markets

Include transliterations and translations of titles/lyrics in metadata so discovery algorithms in other regions can surface your tracks. Add alternate titles and search keywords in your DDEX notes field.

3. Build an analytics one-pager

Admins respond to data. Include:

• Top 5 DSPs by streams and territory breakdown.
• TikTok/IG creator usage numbers and top creator names if possible.
• Shazam and playlist placements.

For guidance on turning creator metrics into sellable one-pagers and storage of analytics assets, see Storage for Creator-Led Commerce.

4. Monetize non-traditional rights

Don’t forget neighboring rights, sync, and micro-licensing for short-form creators. Register with relevant neighboring rights bodies and maintain a sync-ready clearance process.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Pitfall: Missing ISRCs on older releases. Fix: Re-assign and update distributor & DSP metadata; notify admin.
• Pitfall: Split disputes among co-writers. Fix: Get signed split confirmations before pitching; use mediation options if necessary.
• Pitfall: Not including instrumental hooks. Fix: Deliver stems and instrumental edits for creator use and sync licensing.

Mini case study (hypothetical but realistic)

Rhea Singh, an independent songwriter in Mumbai, had 200 tracks across DSPs and dozens of viral TikTok clips. After cleaning metadata, issuing missing ISRCs, registering compositions with IPRS, and packaging 30s hooks with BPM/key and usage tags, she pitched the catalog to Madverse who fed it to Kobalt’s admin. Within six months she saw substantially faster claim resolution on international streams and new sync interest from two Asian streaming shows.

Key takeaways from Rhea’s workflow:

• Clean metadata reduced claim friction.
• Short-form-friendly assets increased licensing velocity.
• Local PRO registration unlocked international mechanicals via the global admin.

Practical templates & checklist (copy into your project folder)

Metadata master column list (minimum)

• Track ID (internal)
• Track Title (original / transliteration / alt)
• Primary Artist (canonical)
• Featured Artists
• ISRC
• ISWC
• Writers + IPI numbers
• Publishers + Publisher ID
• Split % (writer / publisher)
• Release Date
• Language(s)
• BPM / Key
• DSP IDs (Spotify URI, Apple Music ID, YouTube VID)
• Sample notes / clearances
• Short-form hook file name

Pitch checklist (before you send)

• All tracks have ISRCs and ISWCs recorded in the master sheet
• All compositions registered with local PRO and IPI numbers added
• Splits signed and stored (PDF + CSV mapping)
• 30s hooks and stems labeled and zipped
• One-sheet with analytics and top short-form examples
• Clearance summary for each track
• Compressed metadata pack (CSV + index) under 200MB

How to talk to Kobalt/Madverse — email script and negotiation tips

Your initial outreach should be short, data-driven, and modular. Give them a reason to open the zip.

Email subject suggestion: "Catalog pitch — 25 short-form-ready South Asian tracks (ISRC/ISWC + hooks)"

Body bullets to include:

• Catalog size (# tracks), top territories, and monthly listener stat.
• Number of short-form assets and top creator usage examples (TikTok video count).
• Statement: "All metadata, ISRCs, ISWCs, PRO registrations and signed splits included. Zip < 200MB."
• Call to action: "Can we schedule a 20-minute intake call? I’ll bring the intake CSV and sample hooks."

Negotiation tip: Ask about ingest SLAs and reporting frequency. Faster ingestion and weekly reporting mean quicker reconciliation and payment.

Monitoring collections after handoff

Even after you hand off, your job isn’t done. Set KPIs and a review process.

• Monthly reconciliation of reported plays vs. collections.
• Track holdbacks and disputed claims; follow up within 30 days.
• Request periodic statements and a breakdown by territory and revenue type (streaming mechanicals, performance, sync advances, neighboring rights).

Final checklist: ready to pitch?

• Metadata: complete & normalized
• Identifiers: ISRC & ISWC assigned and recorded
• Registrations: PRO and neighboring rights registrations completed
• Splits: signed and machine-readable
• Pitch pack: one-sheet, hooks, stems, analytics
• Delivery: ZIP < 200MB, CSV/DDEX-ready where possible

Why now — and what to expect in 2026

2026 is a pivotal year for South Asian catalogs. The Kobalt–Madverse partnership is a signal: global admins want high-quality regional content. At the same time, platforms are accelerating short-form licensing, and AI-driven content ID is making accurate metadata non-negotiable.

If you prepare your catalog now, you’ll benefit from:

• Fewer claim disputes and faster receipts.
• Higher likelihood of sync placements driven by short-form trends.
• Better visibility in Kobalt’s global reporting and pitching workflows.

Closing — act like a publisher, pitch like a creator

Access to Kobalt’s global network via Madverse is a huge opportunity for South Asian songwriters and labels. But the real winners will be the teams who combine great music with professional metadata and short-form-ready assets.

Start with the audit. Build the metadata master. Create 30s hooks. Get your PRO paperwork in order. Then pitch with a single, tightly packaged ZIP that answers every admin question before they ask it.

Call to action

If you’re ready to convert plays into paychecks, copy the master metadata and pitch checklist from this guide into your project folder and run a 2-week catalog cleanup sprint. Want a free starter CSV template and a 15-minute checklist walkthrough? Sign up for our creator briefing or drop your questions in the comments below — we’ll respond with a downloadable template and prioritized next steps to get you Kobalt-ready.

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