Sonu Nigam revealed major music companies had once distanced themselves from him.
The reason was he spoke for singers having copyrights.
The comments led to a churn in the music industry, he claimed.
Sonu Nigam Says T-Series, Zee Music Once 'Banned' Him Over Copyright Issue
The singer claimed he endured a severe professional setback for speaking out on the copyrights of singers, leading to music companies severing ties.
Summary
Singer Sonu Nigam has opened up on the tumultuous phase he faced, the boycott major music coimpanies like T-Series and Zee Music issued at him for speaking out on singers' retaining copyrights. Now, the industry has shifted.
In a conversation with Komal Nahta on his podcast, Game Changers, Sonu revealed, "My time came, then it passed, and now it has come back again. It’s all a matter of time. When I was at my peak, people gave me so much love. I was releasing albums, people were going crazy for them, and even my posters used to sell. Then I raised the copyright issue. T-Series banned me. Zee Music also stopped working with me. They said, ‘He’s become an activist.'"
He added, “I never thought I would be banned. I believed we would eventually resolve the issue, but things only kept getting worse. When I saw doors closing for me, I realised that while they could stop giving me songs, they could never stop me from performing on stage. Today, things have changed. Those very music labels are paying royalties to singers. We now meet with affection, sit together and even share meals. Someone had to bell the cat."
He insisted his copyright battle was a much larger one, that he was advancing a fight that legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar had initiated but could not see to its end.
Has The Music Industry Changed?
He stressed that after the laws changed, music companies ultimately realised that his demands had never been unreasonable. According to Sonu, the shift in the industry’s approach led the music companies to return to him, and he now shares a cordial relationship with them.
"Today, things have changed. Those very music labels are paying royalties to singers. We now meet with affection, sit together and even share meals. Someone had to bell the cat," he confessed.
The singer is now bracing for his upcoming concert, Revolution, at OVO Arena Wembley on August 23. He will then embark on the Revolution India Tour 2026, which begins in October and will travel to Bengaluru, Pune, Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Jodhpur before wrapping in March 2027.
Advertisement
Published At:
Tags