Music Labels Crack the Whip as Influencers Flout Copyright Rules on Social Media

A reckoning may be coming for India's booming influencer economy as music labels crack down on the rampant and unauthorised use of copyrighted music on platforms such as Instagram. The warning: stop using chartbusters for brand promotions without proper licenses or face takedowns, legal action, and hefty fines.

Despite Meta's clear policies restricting the use of licensed music to non-commercial posts, influencers routinely embed trending tracks into branded Reels and videos. This has led to a growing number of copyright infringement cases, with music labels taking matters into their own hands.

"This is largely driven by platform algorithms favouring trending audio," said Shudeep Majumdar, co-founder and CEO of Zefmo. "But the bigger issue is the lack of creator awareness and India's outdated copyright framework."

Music labels are now drawing a hard line, with some taking legal action against influencers who have used their music without permission.

"We understand why brands want to use trending tracks – they add emotion, virality and cultural cachet," said Vikram Sandhana, CEO of Universal Music Group India. "That's why we often work with brands to create legal licensing deals that unlock not just the track, but also promotional value and artist tie-ins."

However, enforcement remains selective, with music labels prioritizing cases that hurt them the most.

"Music labels get more infringement complaints than they can act on daily. So they prioritise the ones that hurt them the most," said Aditya Gurwara, co-founder of Qoruz. "In fact, global music used in India by smaller influencers often goes unnoticed, but that could change overnight. It's a legal minefield, and the onus is now clearly on creators to tread carefully."

As influencer content continues to blur the lines between personal expression and paid promotion, music labels are setting a clear precedent. This time, creators may have no choice but to play by the rules.

But what about legal alternatives? Meta offers a royalty-free Sound Collection for commercial posts, which could provide an option for influencers looking to avoid copyright infringement.

"Meta offers a royalty-free Sound Collection for commercial posts. But most creators don’t bother," said Aditi Verma Thakur, an IP lawyer and partner at Ediplis Counsels.

As the music industry continues to evolve, it's clear that creators will need to be more mindful of copyright laws and seek out legitimate licensing options to avoid legal action.