Amaal Mallik opens up on credit and artist struggles in Bollywood music industry: "Sooraj Dooba Hai earned Rs 60–70 crore for the label, I got nothing"

He also highlighted how the absence of rights limits an artist’s ability to make a meaningful impact.

• Amaal Mallik condemns unfair pay and lack of rights for Bollywood composers.
• He says South Indian composers earn more and keep rights, unlike in Hindi cinema.
• Mallik pushed for composer credits, highlighting lack of transparency in song selection.

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Music composer and singer Amaal Mallik recently opened up about the working structure in the Bollywood music industry, shedding light on issues ranging from unfair compensation models and a lack of artist rights to flawed crediting systems.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, Amaal discussed how his song Sooraj Dooba Hai, which was produced on a modest budget of Rs 8–9 lakh, went on to generate massive revenue for music labels. He also highlighted how the absence of rights limits an artist’s ability to make a meaningful impact. “It earned Rs 60–70 crore for the label, and I got nothing except publishing rights, which are negligible, not even close to Rs 1 crore," he said.

Explaining his motivations, Amaal added, “I want to make money to help people. That can only happen if I have rights or equal rights. Film music doesn’t give you that." He emphasised that his intentions have never been self-indulgent. “Sixteen years later, I just bought a car for myself. I’ve never done anything for myself, it’s always been for people around me."

Amaal also spoke about the issue of composer credits, noting that it was not always standard practice in the industry. “Today you see composer credits everywhere, but I was the first one to insist on this back in 2004," he said, adding that musicians who worked with him later encouraged other labels to adopt similar practices.

He drew a comparison with the South Indian music industry, where composers retain rights and earn significantly more. “There are composers in the South earning Rs 10–15 crore while retaining rights. In Hindi cinema, composers get Rs 2–3 crore and give everything up," he explained.

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Pointing to deeper systemic flaws, Amaal highlighted the lack of transparency around song selection and rejection. “You give 15–16 options, you and 10 other composers put your heart into it, and then songs are rejected without explanation. There’s no transparency," he said.

Amaal Mallik has composed and sung several hit songs in Bollywood, including for films like Roy, Ek Paheli Leela, All Is Well, Hero, and Airlift. He was recently seen on the reality show Bigg Boss 19. His brother, Armaan Mallik, is also a well-known singer.