A distinguished leader in the industry, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC)’s head of international relations Indi Chawla has had an impact on international music publishing spanning over three decades. 

Her career began as a Royalty Assistant at Polygram Music Publishing, marking the start of a career trajectory that propelled her to senior management positions in major and independent music publishing companies. At Warner Chappell, where she led the Global Copyright Team for nearly a decade, she revolutionised the company's copyright management practices by implementing highly efficient and standardised registration processes across Warner Chappell’s extensive network, and played a key role in launching Warner Chappell's enhanced rights management system, solidifying her reputation as a visionary leader in the field.

Before joining The MLC – a non-profit organisation working to change the way songwriters , publishers and rightsholders are paid for their music that is streamed and downloaded – Chawla was a consultant for ICE, an integrated licensing and processing hub. Her work focused on the development of the company’s copyright platform, where she provided guidance on managing conflicting work claims from creation to resolution. Her collaboration with stakeholders to align essential policies and workflows was also integral for the company, and she has also since contributed to several industry best practices around the management of music publishing data leading to widely adopted protocols that are in use by music publishers across the globe today.

In her role now, Chawla is instrumental in coordinating with international rightsholders to optimise the collection of mechanical royalties on behalf of global CMOs, publishers and songwriters. Her responsibilities encompass influencing data quality, developing strategies for data validation and distribution, as well as addressing operational challenges faced by international members. Under her leadership, The MLC has connected with over 100 CMOs worldwide, representing rightsholders in nearly 130 countries.

Committed to empowering songwriters across the world, Chawla conducts educational webinars and workshops. She is a prominent speaker at events like MusicAlly Connect, WOMEX and the IMPF Creators Summit, and has collaborated with international organisations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization and African Intellectual Property Organisation. Her unwavering commitment to rightful compensation and her visionary approach to advancing the global music publishing industry has set her apart as an influential leader in the field.

How do you feel about joining the Music Week Women In Music Roll Of Honour?

“I am truly honoured to be included in this group alongside these great women as well as those before. I always find the Women In Music Awards such an inspiring event so I’m excited to be involved this year!” 

How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?

“I always had a passion for music growing up, but I didn’t believe and wasn’t led to believe that it could translate into a career. So I followed a fairly traditional route in going to university and thought I wanted to be an economist. I managed to get a role in the government, working as a trainee economist, but although I relished moving to London in the ’90s, I did not relish the work as much! It soon dawned on me that I didn’t want to do this for the rest of my life and I decided to try to follow my passion and get into the music industry. I did a short evening course on music business and during that time, a job vacancy as a royalty assistant came up which I was fortunate to get! Once I got into the industry, I knew that’s where I wanted to be but then soon realised there were very few Indian women in the industry, as well as few women in senior leadership roles.”

Did you have a mentor at that stage? 

“I didn’t, but throughout my career, there have been some people who just took a chance on me and supported me, trusting my instincts and dedication.”

How significant has the establishment of The MLC, in 2021, been for songwriters and publishers globally?

“Hugely. I have been in music publishing for many years now working predominantly for publishers but also for collecting management organisations and am therefore aware of the challenges the digital economy has brought to the industry. Getting paid for your work should be a given, but the complexity of rights management has sometimes meant that rights holders are not always getting remunerated their full due. The MLC was brought about as a result of some of these challenges and I really do believe that it has and is making a difference to rightsholders around the world. The fact that rightsholders can get paid without bearing a cost to themselves is groundbreaking in itself. Since beginning full operations in 2021, The MLC has distributed over $2 billion in total royalties and has grown membership to over 45,000. Moreover, by connecting with over 100 CMOs around the world, we’re continuing to further strengthen its ability to support songwriters and publishers on a global scale.”

What made you want to work in the field of publishing and protecting copyright for rights-holders?

“I thought working on the business administration side of things would be my way into the music industry, and it was! After working as a royalty assistant, I moved to operations at a label and then went back to publishing. Publishing was deemed less glamorous than the label side, but I saw an opportunity to improve efficiencies in the area of data management and licensing which I found rewarding and which ultimately allowed me to progress in my career.”

In the past three decades, how have you witnessed music publishing evolve to become one of the areas of the industry that is generating a lot of big deals and news headlines?

“During the pandemic, there was an incentive to sell music catalogues as artists saw that their returns from live performances dropped significantly. Legacy artists who controlled their publishing could secure great sums of money revenue at the time from investors realising that streaming was generating steady and lucrative returns. Even now, those at much earlier stages of their careers are also considering selling so they can profit from their success and consider other ventures. However, whilst there is a realisation that it’s a lucrative business, it’s not just about acquiring the rights – the acquirer has to work the catalogue and ensure their systems are tight to continue reaping rewards from the purchases.”   

Do you feel The MLC is helping the value of the song be recognised in the streaming ecosystem? Can more be done to support songwriters?

“Yes, I do, and we are committed, alongside various other initiatives that are happening right now who are supporting songwriters getting credited. Without the song there is no recording and we as an industry should collectively do more to ensure timely and accurate remuneration for songwriters, as well as giving them the credit that they are due. The MLC plays a crucial role in bringing transparency to the complex system of digital music licensing, ensuring creators receive rightful compensation for their work.”

What’s your biggest achievement so far? 

“Leading a rights management module system build for a major publisher did take me out of my comfort zone; I had never previously worked on a system build so working closely with product developers and system engineers based in the US was something new for me. It was indeed a challenge as there was no real precedent, but I was determined to deliver and meet the deadline. Together with my team, we translated our copyright management requirements into a much more efficient system, which enabled us to deliver, receive and analyse data from across the globe. Meeting the company’s proposed go-live date on the project just added to the sense of achievement.”

What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?

“This would be for any career – just aim for something you want to do and that gives you enjoyment. Stick to your values, work hard, continue to learn, don’t be afraid to ask questions and remember to listen.” 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever had?

“If you never try, you’ll never know what you are capable of.”

Who are the women in the music industry that are inspiring you?

“It is great to see many more women CEOs in the industry. From start-ups to larger organisations, women are forging ahead in senior positions, although we still have some way to go to get true parity. With women representing over 50% of our leadership team and 60% of our staff, The MLC shows this and I am so lucky to work alongside such brilliant fellow female colleagues. Also, I truly admire Kate Bush – a hugely talented songwriter and performer being able to do things on her own terms at such a young age and at a time when it was virtually impossible is just hugely inspiring.”

Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now?

“When I heard Victoria Canal perform live at the Ivor Novello Awards earlier this year I was just blown away and I am so excited to follow her journey.”

Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2024 so far? 

“Just because you may be older, it doesn’t mean you are less relevant.”