Warner/Chappell expands in South Asia through Indian deal

Warner/Chappell Music, the global music publishing arm of the Warner Music Group, has expanded further into the South Asian market. It is through an extension of its current deal with Times Music, one of the leading music labels and publishers in India.

As well as renewing the deal for India, Times Music will now represent Warner/Chappell’s catalogue in Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka for the first time to drive publishing and sync deals.

“Warner/Chappell songwriters’ music knows no boundaries and Times Music has been a fantastic partner in helping us extend their reach,” says Stephen Clark, the major publisher’s SVP of Global Administration.

“The expansion of our partnership allows us to tap into new and vibrant markets with enormous growth potential, and we look forward to further exploring South Asia with the continued help of Times Music.”

Mandar Thakur, COO of Times Music, adds: “We are pleased to be able to build on our success of representing Warner/Chappell’s amazing songwriters in India, by expanding our work to other markets in the region.

“We are at the forefront of the rapidly developing music publishing market in South Asia. We will be bringing our expertise to bear on behalf of the legendary Warner/Chappell catalogue to ensure it reaches its full potential in the region.”

The deal will affect the reach of songwriters as Barry Gibb, Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Eric Clapton, .fun, Kendrick Lamar, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Muse, Jay-Z, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Green Day, Stephen Sondheim, Chris Stapleton and Tove Lo, among many others.

The South Asian expansion comes on the heels of Warner/Chappell posting its best market share in the US for the first quarter of 2016. It was up to 22.6%, making it second behind long time leader Sony/ATV at 26.1%. But Warner/Chappell overtook Sony/ATV in the country music stakes.

Globally Warner/Chappell’s share stayed flat in 2015 at 12.4% while Sony/ATV (including EMI) was predominant with 28.3%.