Know Why be a Member of ISRA

Know Why be a Member of ISRA

WHY APPLY :

In India, the Copyright Act, 1957 was amended in 2012 vide The Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012 (27 of 2012). The said amendment came into effect from 21st June 2012. It strengthened the “Performer’s Rights” and certain exclusive rights were accorded to Performers including the inalienable Right to Receive Royalty (the R3) which right can be assigned only to a legal heir or a registered copyright society.

INDIAN SINGERS’ AND MUSICIANS’ RIGHTS ASSOCIATION (ISAMRA), formerly the Indian Singers Rights Association (ISRA),  is the Copyright Society in India for Singers. It is a non-profit body established to protect, exercise, and promote the Performer’s rights of ‘Singers’ as ‘Performers’ defined under section 2 (qq) of the Copyright Act, 1957 and ensure enforcement of their Performer’s right as defined under Sections 38 and 38A of the Copyright Act, 1957 including the Performer’s inalienable ‘Right to Receive Royalty’ (the R3). ISAMRA is thus the sole representative body as also the sole national copyright society administering throughout India the ‘Right to Receive Royalty’ (the R3) of Singers as Performers guaranteed under the Copyright Act, 1957.

ISAMRA was registered as the Copyright Society as per Section 33 of the Copyright Act and received its Certificate of Registration from the Central Government on June 14, 2013, for a period of 5 years which was subsequently renewed on October 10, 2018 (and is valid till June 13, 2023). In fact, ISAMRA was the first copyright society to be registered by the Central Government after the Copyright Act was amended in 2012 and is the sole Performers’ Society for administering the rights of Singers as a category of Performers in India. ISAMRA is a company limited by guarantee and not having share capital registered under section 25 of the Companies Act, 1956.

It is ISAMRA’s aim and motto to ensure and deliver Royalties to all Singers who invest their talent, time and money in Singing as it firmly believes that Singers should be paid fairly when their music is used commercially.

It is near impossible and impracticable for each Singer to go and collect his/her Royalty for the songs he/she has sung. Similarly, it is cumbersome and impractical for any honest User to pay this statutory liability to each individual Singer when he/she/it commercially uses the same. Thus, the only way to go about this is through ISAMRA. It fulfills a very important part by acting as a Pipe between the Users of songs and the Singer.

ISAMRA provides :
    
•    Collection of Royalties from Pan India and from around the World
•    Value of Royalty is well structured and defined by its Tariffs
•    Fair Tariffs considering Demand-Supply at the same time User friendly

Any Performerbeing a Singer of a professionally recorded and commercially released Song can be admitted as a Member of ISRA. Thus, the following persons, shall be eligible for admission to membership of the ISAMRA : 

(a)    any Performer (only an individual living person in flesh and blood) of whatever nationality; 

(b)    on the death of a Performer, the legal heirs of a deceased Performer such as the spouse, son or daughter above the age of eighteen (18) years, or other relative, next of kin, individual beneficiary in respect of the right in the Performance of a deceased Performer. 

TYPES OF MEMBERSHIPS

There shall be two (2) categories of Members namely: 

(i)    Ordinary Members – who shall be all individual or group Performers who shall be eligible to Membership on fulfilment of other criteria, as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors; and 

(ii)    Associate Members – who would be the legal heirs of a deceased Performer such as the spouse, son or daughter above the age of eighteen (18) years, or other relative, next of kin, individual beneficiary in respect of the right in the Performance of a deceased Performer. 

QUALIFYING CRITERIA

The Singer Applicant should have at least 1 Original Song professionally recorded and commercially released either by himself/herself or through any intermediary. The song can be in Film/Non-Film/Serial/Web Series/Advertisement and can be of any genre like Pop, Ghazal, Devotional, Classical etc.

Click here to Apply for Membership

Please fill up the Membership Application Form and submit the same together with the documents required. You can upload the documents together with the Form.

Kindly keep the following Documents ready to be attached with the Application Form:

If you are a Singer (Ordinary Member):

a.    Proof of Performance that he/she is the Singer and the song is Released
•    For Film / Non-Film Albums – CD Inlays or Digital Release (Snapshot and Link) with all credits & links. Song released on Saavan/Gaana/iTunes/ Spotify or any other aggregator/streaming platforms will be considered proving Internet presence
•    For TV Serial/Web Series – Letter from Production House/Channel orCD of Video Clip with Rolling Title of Name Credits.
•    For Advertising (Jingle / Logos / Channels ID / Songs for Events) – Letter from Advertising Agency/Advertiser/Production House certifying the Performance and CD of Video Clip of Advertisement).

b.    PAN Card

c.    Aadhar Card

d.    Passport

e.    Photo Proof (either)
•    PAN Card
•    Aadhar Card
•    Driving Card

f.    Address Proof (either)
•    Aadhar Card
•    Passport
•    Driving Card
•    Voter ID
•    Rent Agreement
•    If staying as Paying Guest / with relative/acquaintance (Notarized letter from the original owner of the property with his electricity bill attached as proof of tenancy

g.    Three (3) Latest Color Passport Photos in standard size. 

h.    Work Notification Form to be affixed to the Form 

i. Photocopy of Bank Passbook / Bank Statement (latest) with Account name, address, Account No, etc. (duly verified & attested by the Bank.) or Cancelled Cheque with Name inscribed on the face of the Cheque.

If you are the Legal Heir etc of a Singer (Associate Member) :-

a.    All the above requirements for Ordinary Member for each of the Applicant as above
b.    Copy of Death Certificate
c.    Copy of Probated Will or Succession Certificate or Letter of Administration or Legal Heir Certificate of the Deceased issued by any competent Court

Membership Processing Fees of Rs. 10,000/- + 18% GST can be paid online too! 

Please Note, that submission of the Application Form does not guarantee that membership will be automatically accepted. The Application Form so submitted will be reviewed by the Board of Directors in their regular Meetings.

The Membership Department will reach out to you for completing any further procedures of joining as member within 3 days of your submission. In case where you do not hear from us within 3 days of your submission, please rest assured that your Application is found to be in order and will be processed further.

Once the Membership Form is found to be in order, the following process will be followed :

• Your Application Forms so received by the Membership Department and found to be in order will then be placed at the forthcoming Board Meeting. The Board will then consider each Application and accept or reject the same. 
• Each application shall be considered by the Board of Directors or in such a manner as the Board of Directors may, from time to time, direct. The Board of Directors shall have full and unrestricted power to refuse any application but must provide the applicant with a reason for such refusal.
• The applicant if accepted by the Board may then be admitted as Ordinary Member or Associate Member. 
• In case your Application has been rejected, you will receive an Intimation of the Rejection within 3 days of the Board Meeting.
• In case your Application has been accepted, after completing legal and other formalities, you will receive the Intimation about your admittance within 10 days of the Board Meeting.
• The Membership Department will also make and keep ready your Deed of Exclusive Authorisation (DoA) which you would need to come and sign at the Office (by prior appointments). DoA of outstation member can be signed in the official meetings held in those cities every year or by them visiting the office. As soon as the DoA is ready, the Membership Department shall intimate or call on you for the same.