Sonu Nigam has opened up about the ups and downs of his career, especially the time when major music labels turned their backs on him after he raised his voice about copyright and royalty rights for singers.
He recalled how his career was flying high before the controversy started, how things fell apart after that, and how the same companies are now working with him again as the industry has grown more mindful of artists’ rights.
The ban years
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Speaking to Komal Nahta on his podcast Game Changers, Sonu shared how things changed overnight once he spoke up about copyright.
He said, “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 never expected things to go this far. As he put it, “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.”
A bigger purpose
Sonu Nigam also spoke about how he saw his fight for copyright as something larger than just a career decision. He felt it was his responsibility to carry forward the work Lata Mangeshkar had started but couldn’t finish.
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He was ready to risk everything he had built because he believed no one else would step up and take on that fight.
He also pointed out that once the laws finally changed, the music companies realised his demands were never unfair to begin with. That realisation is what eventually brought them back to him, and today he shares a warm equation with the same labels that once shut him out.
What’s next for Sonu
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Sonu Nigam is now gearing up for his concert Revolution at OVO Arena Wembley on August 23, 2026. Following that, his Revolution India Tour 2026 kicks off in October 2026, taking him to cities like Bengaluru, Pune, Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Nagpur, Lucknow, Chandigarh and Jodhpur, with the tour wrapping up in March 2027.
FAQs
Why did music labels ban Sonu Nigam?
He was banned after raising concerns about copyright and royalty rights for singers. Labels like T-Series and Zee Music stopped working with him and called him an activist.
Did Sonu Nigam expect to be banned?
No, he said he never thought it would come to that. He believed the issue would be resolved, but things kept getting worse instead.