TRW & Co · Technology, IP & Data
Media and Entertainment in Singapore
Media and entertainment law in Singapore combines active content regulation with commercial rights work. IMDA licenses broadcasters and streaming services and classifies films and games, online safety duties now bind platforms and app stores, and an Online Safety Commission has operated since June 2026. This guide covers the framework, deals, risks and regional angles.
Key pointIn Singapore a content deal can be perfectly drafted and still fail if the work cannot be classified, licensed or kept online; regulatory status and chain of title need to be settled before money changes hands.
At a glance
IMDA is the lead regulator
IMDA licenses broadcasting and streaming services, classifies films and video games, and issues the content and online safety codes that bind licensees and designated services.
Online Safety Commission live
The Commission began operating on 29 June 2026 under the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025, starting with five harms including doxxing and harassment.
Platform codes in force
Designated social media services follow the Code of Practice for Online Safety since July 2023; designated app stores must apply age assurance from 31 March 2025.
Classification ratings
Films are rated G, PG, PG13, NC16, M18 or R21 under the Films Act 1981 framework, with conditions on higher ratings and on publicity materials.
Advertising self-regulation
ASAS administers the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice and expects paid or incentivised influencer content to be clearly disclosed to audiences.
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What media and entertainment law in Singapore covers
Media and entertainment law in Singapore covers the rules that apply when content is made, licensed, classified, distributed and monetised. That includes film and television production, streaming and video-on-demand services, music and live events, games, publishing, advertising, influencer marketing and the social media platforms that now carry most of it.
The audience for this advice is broad. A streaming platform launching in Singapore needs licensing and content-code advice. A production company needs chain-of-title, talent and financing documents. A brand running an influencer campaign needs advertising standards and consumer protection advice. A platform hosting user content needs to understand its duties under Singapore's online safety laws, which changed significantly in 2025 and 2026.
The common thread is that Singapore regulates content more actively than many markets. Classification, licensing and takedown powers sit alongside commercial law, so a deal that works contractually can still fail if the content cannot lawfully be shown, sold or kept online here.
The regulatory framework
The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) is the principal media regulator, operating under the Ministry of Digital Development and Information (MDDI). It administers licensing and classification, and issues the codes of practice that bind licensees and designated services.
Core statutes
- Broadcasting Act 1994. Licenses television and radio services, including nationwide and niche services and over-the-top video services. Part 10A, added by the Online Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act 2022 with effect from 1 February 2023, lets IMDA designate social media services and app distribution services with significant reach and require them to comply with online safety codes.
- Films Act 1981. Governs the classification, distribution and exhibition of films, including video games through IMDA's classification guidelines. Ratings run from G and PG through PG13, NC16 and M18 to R21, with conditions attached to the higher categories.
- Copyright Act 2021. Sets ownership, licensing and enforcement rules for works and performances, and includes rights of attribution for creators and performers. IPOS's copyright overview summarises the regime.
- Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025. Passed on 5 November 2025, it created the Online Safety Commission and statutory torts for online harms.
- Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act 2019 (POFMA). Allows ministers to issue correction and other directions against false statements of fact, administered with support from the POFMA Office.
- Public Entertainments Act 1958. Covers licensing of public entertainment, with arts entertainment classified under IMDA's Arts Entertainment Classification Code.
Defamation, contempt, the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 and the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003 also shape what can be published and how audiences are marketed to.
| Activity | Main instrument | Regulator or body | What to check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linear TV and radio | Broadcasting Act 1994; content codes | IMDA | Licence class, content code, advertising and sponsorship code |
| Streaming and video-on-demand | Broadcasting Act 1994; Content Code for Over-the-Top, Video-on-Demand and Niche Services | IMDA | Whether a licence is needed, age ratings and parental controls |
| Cinema release and home video | Films Act 1981; Film Classification Guidelines | IMDA | Classification rating, cuts, publicity material approvals |
| Video games | Video Game Classification Guidelines | IMDA | Rating and labelling before distribution |
| Social media and app stores | Broadcasting Act Part 10A; online safety codes | IMDA | Designation, user safety tools, reporting and age assurance |
| Online harms to individuals | Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 | Online Safety Commission | Directions to remove content, identity disclosure, statutory torts |
| Advertising content | Singapore Code of Advertising Practice | Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore | Claims substantiation, disclosure of paid content |
IMDA publishes the full list of media codes of practice and guidelines, including the Code of Practice for Online Safety and the Internet Code of Practice. Our page on broadcasting classification looks at the licence categories in more detail.
Online safety: what changed in 2025 and 2026
Online safety is the fastest-moving part of media and entertainment law in Singapore. Three layers now apply.
First, designated social media services must comply with IMDA's Code of Practice for Online Safety, in effect since 18 July 2023. It requires systems to reduce exposure to harmful content, tools that let users manage their safety, stronger protections for children, effective reporting mechanisms and annual online safety reports.
Second, the Code of Practice for Online Safety for App Distribution Services took effect on 31 March 2025. Designated app stores must put age assurance in place and, as a starting point, prevent children from accessing the highest age-rated apps.
Third, the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 gives victims a direct route to relief. According to the Ministry of Law, the Online Safety Commission began operating on 29 June 2026. Its first phase covers intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxxing, online harassment and online stalking, with the remaining categories of the Act's 13 harms to follow progressively.
For platforms, online safety is no longer a policy choice made in a trust-and-safety team. It is a set of legal duties owed to regulators and, increasingly, to individual users.
The Commission can direct takedowns, restrict accounts and, where appropriate, require platforms to provide identity information about users who committed harms. The statutory torts allow claims for damages and injunctions against communicators, administrators of groups or pages, and platforms. Platforms with greater reach face additional requirements, including response times for handling notices. Our page on online content governance covers moderation workflows.
Content rights and commercial deals
Most of the value in media and entertainment sits in rights. The legal work is making sure the rights exist, are owned by the right party and are licensed in a way that matches how the content will actually be exploited.
Development and production
Option and purchase agreements for underlying works, writer and director agreements, co-production terms and production services agreements. Chain of title must be clean before financing or distribution.
Talent and creators
Performer, presenter and influencer agreements covering fees, exclusivity, usage rights, moral and attribution rights, morality clauses and social media conduct.
Distribution and licensing
Territory, media, windows, exclusivity, holdbacks and minimum guarantees. Streaming deals need clear definitions of platforms, devices and geo-blocking duties.
Music
Synchronisation and master use licences for audiovisual works, public performance licences from collective management organisations for venues and broadcasters, and producer and artist agreements.
Live events
Venue hire, promoter and artist agreements, arts entertainment classification, sponsorship, ticketing terms and cancellation and force majeure provisions.
Games and interactive
Publishing and localisation agreements, in-game purchase terms, classification and consumer protection, and licensing of characters and brands.
Our posts on film rights and classification and music rights clearance go deeper on those two areas, and our copyright and content practice handles ownership questions.
Advertising, sponsorship and influencer marketing
Advertising in Singapore is largely self-regulated through the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice, administered by the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore (ASAS). ASAS also publishes guidelines on interactive marketing and social media, which expect paid or incentivised content to be clearly disclosed as such.
Broadcast advertising must also comply with IMDA's Television and Radio Advertising and Sponsorship Code. Certain products face additional restrictions, including health products, financial services and alcohol, and healthcare providers face specific limits under the Healthcare Services Act 2020. Misleading claims can also amount to unfair practices under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003, enforced by the CCS.
For brands, the practical risk sits in the contract with the creator. Approval rights over posts, disclosure obligations, takedown rights and indemnities for unsubstantiated claims should be written in, not assumed. See our guide to influencer governance.
Process: launching content or a service in Singapore
The steps below reflect a typical launch of a streaming service or a major content release. Live events and games follow a similar pattern with different classification bodies.
- Map the regulatory status. Decide whether the service needs an IMDA licence, falls within a class licence, or could be designated under Broadcasting Act Part 10A. Check which content codes will apply.
- Clear the rights. Audit chain of title, music clearances and talent consents for every title in the Singapore catalogue, including any territorial or platform restrictions.
- Plan classification. Submit films, games or arts entertainment for classification where required, and build rating displays and parental controls into the product.
- Prepare user and creator terms. Draft terms of use, community guidelines, notice-and-takedown processes and creator agreements that reflect online safety duties.
- Set up data and marketing compliance. Align the privacy notice, consent flows and marketing messages with the PDPA and Do Not Call rules.
- Build the response playbook. Assign owners for IMDA, Online Safety Commission and POFMA directions, with escalation paths and response times.
- Launch and report. Monitor complaints, keep classification records and prepare any online safety reports the service must publish.
Documents and evidence to keep
- Chain-of-title file for each work: underlying rights, assignments, licences and releases.
- Talent and crew agreements, with consent and waiver of attribution rights where appropriate.
- Music cue sheets and licences, including sync, master and public performance licences.
- Classification certificates and records of cuts or conditions imposed.
- Licence documents and correspondence with IMDA, and any designation notices.
- Moderation and takedown logs showing when notices were received and what action was taken.
- Advertising substantiation for claims and records of creator disclosures.
- Insurance, including errors and omissions cover that lenders and distributors usually require.
Risks and common mistakes
Assuming global platform terms satisfy Singapore duties
Many platforms rely on global community guidelines and moderation processes. Those may be a good starting point, but Singapore's Code of Practice for Online Safety and the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 impose specific expectations on reporting tools, child protection, response times and cooperation with the Commission. If the global process cannot route a Singapore direction quickly to a decision-maker, the platform risks non-compliance. Map Singapore duties onto the global workflow and fill the gaps with local escalation paths.
Gaps in chain of title
A missing assignment from a scriptwriter, an unlicensed music cue or an unsigned release from a person who appears on screen can block distribution or insurance. These problems are cheap to fix during production and expensive after release. Keep a chain-of-title file from the first option agreement, and require producers and contractors to deliver signed documents before final payment. Distributors and streaming platforms will ask for the file during due diligence.
Classifying content too late
Films, games and arts entertainment may need classification before they are released or performed. A rating that is higher than planned can restrict audiences, advertising and scheduling, and cuts may be needed to reach a target rating. Build classification into the release plan, and allow time for appeals or re-edits. The same applies to publicity materials, which IMDA guidelines also cover.
Undisclosed influencer content
Brands sometimes leave disclosure to the creator. If a sponsored post is not identified as advertising, both the brand and the creator may face complaints under ASAS guidelines, and misleading claims may engage consumer protection law. Write disclosure requirements, pre-approval rights and claim substantiation duties into the agreement, and keep evidence of compliance. Do not ask creators to make claims you could not substantiate yourself.
Defamation and privacy exposure
Documentaries, podcasts and commentary content can expose producers and platforms to defamation claims, and Singapore courts treat reputational harm seriously. Personal data in content also raises PDPA questions, and online harassment and doxxing are now within the Online Safety Commission's remit. Legal review before publication, clear fact-checking records and a fast correction process are the most effective protections. Our IP litigation and disputes teams advise when claims arise.
Enforcement, takedowns and disputes
Disputes under media and entertainment law in Singapore tend to fall into three groups: rights disputes between commercial parties, claims by individuals harmed by content, and regulatory action by IMDA or another authority. Each moves at a different speed and needs a different response.
Rights disputes, such as unpaid minimum guarantees, exceeded licence windows or unlicensed use of a catalogue, are usually contractual and copyright claims. Many international licence agreements choose arbitration, while infringement by third parties typically goes to the courts. IPOS also offers IP dispute resolution options, including mediation, that can resolve licensing disagreements without damaging a continuing relationship.
Claims by individuals have changed most. Before 2026 a person harmed by online content typically had to rely on harassment, defamation or privacy-related claims. Now the Online Safety Commission offers an administrative route for specified harms, and the statutory torts give a clearer basis for damages and injunctions. Platforms and publishers should expect more applications and should treat a Commission direction as urgent.
Regulatory action can range from a request to amend content or a warning to financial penalties or licence consequences for serious or repeated breaches of codes. Keeping a record of classification decisions, moderation actions and correspondence with IMDA is the best preparation.
Media and entertainment law in Singapore increasingly rewards speed. Agree internally, before launch, who can authorise a takedown, who speaks to regulators and who decides whether to contest a direction. A response that takes days to escalate can turn a manageable notice into an enforcement problem.
The cross-border angle
Media and entertainment law in Singapore rarely operates in isolation. A regional streaming service may hold its licences in Singapore while serving audiences in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines, each with its own classification and content rules. Rights licensed for "Singapore" may not cover viewers who access the service with a VPN, so territorial and geo-blocking provisions must be realistic.
TRW & Co's network brings practical angles. Bangladeshi content producers and broadcasters are licensing catalogue to regional platforms and need Singapore-law licence terms that also work under Bangladeshi copyright and foreign exchange rules. UK producers often co-produce with Asian partners and need structures that reconcile UK tax relief requirements with Singapore production arrangements. UAE-based media groups are active in regional distribution and events, and Chinese studios and game publishers frequently use Singapore as a launch base for Southeast Asia, which raises localisation, classification and data questions together.
Where Singapore court or tribunal representation is required, we work alongside Singapore-qualified counsel, and we coordinate local counsel in other markets so that rights and regulatory positions line up.
How TRW & Co helps with media and entertainment law in Singapore
We advise studios, producers, platforms, brands, promoters and investors across the content lifecycle.
Regulatory mapping
We assess licensing, classification and online safety duties for new services and content, and prepare questions for IMDA where the position is unclear.
Rights and deals
We draft and negotiate production, distribution, licensing, talent and music agreements with consistent definitions of territory, media and term.
Platform governance
We design user terms, moderation and takedown workflows, and response playbooks for directions from IMDA, the Online Safety Commission and the POFMA Office.
Campaigns and disputes
We review advertising and influencer campaigns, and coordinate responses to infringement, defamation and contract disputes with Singapore counsel.
For more on how we work, see our practices or contact us to discuss a project.
Checklist for decision-makers
- Do we know whether our service needs an IMDA licence or could be designated under Part 10A of the Broadcasting Act?
- Is there a complete chain-of-title file for every title we distribute in Singapore?
- Have films, games and events been classified, with ratings built into marketing plans?
- Can our moderation team respond to an Online Safety Commission direction within the required time?
- Do creator and influencer contracts require clear disclosure of paid content?
- Are privacy notices and marketing consents aligned with the PDPA?
- Do our licences reflect how media and entertainment law in Singapore and in neighbouring markets treats cross-border access?
- Is there a named owner for regulator correspondence and directions?
Getting these answers right early is the difference between a smooth launch and a release delayed by rights or regulatory gaps.
Frequently asked questions
01Does a streaming service need a licence to operate in Singapore?
It depends on the service. IMDA licenses certain over-the-top and video-on-demand services under the Broadcasting Act 1994, and those services must follow the Content Code for Over-the-Top, Video-on-Demand and Niche Services. Other online services fall under a class licence and the Internet Code of Practice. The answer turns on the nature of the service, its audience and its reach in Singapore. Map the position before launch, and build age ratings and parental controls into the product from the start.
02What is the Online Safety Commission and can it order content removed?
The Online Safety Commission was created by the Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 and began operating on 29 June 2026. Victims of specified online harms can apply to it for relief. It can direct that harmful content be taken down, restrict a perpetrator's account and, where appropriate, require platforms to disclose identity information. The first phase covers intimate image abuse, image-based child abuse, doxxing, online harassment and online stalking, with other harms added progressively.
03Do films and games need classification before release in Singapore?
Generally yes. Films are classified under the Films Act 1981 framework using IMDA's Film Classification Guidelines, and video games under the Video Game Classification Guidelines. Ratings range from G to R21, and higher ratings carry restrictions on audience, distribution and advertising. Publicity materials are also covered by IMDA guidelines. Build classification into the release timetable, because a higher-than-expected rating or required cuts can affect marketing and revenue.
04What must brands do when working with influencers in Singapore?
Make sure paid or incentivised content is clearly disclosed, that claims can be substantiated and that the creator follows the Singapore Code of Advertising Practice and ASAS's guidance on interactive marketing. Misleading claims may also be unfair practices under the Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act 2003. The influencer agreement should include disclosure duties, approval rights, takedown rights, usage rights and an indemnity, and should restrict claims about regulated products such as health products and financial services.
05Who owns copyright in commissioned content in Singapore?
The Copyright Act 2021 sets the default rules, which changed from the previous Act for some commissioned works. Defaults vary by type of work and relationship, so commercial producers should not rely on them. The safest course is a written assignment or licence in every commissioning, employment and collaboration agreement, covering all media and territories needed. Creators and performers also have attribution rights, which should be addressed expressly in talent and production contracts.
06Can a platform be sued in Singapore for content posted by users?
Yes, in some circumstances. The Online Safety (Relief and Accountability) Act 2025 creates statutory torts that can make platforms, as well as communicators and administrators of groups or pages, liable for specified online harms, with additional duties for platforms with greater reach. Defamation and copyright claims may also be brought in appropriate cases. A clear notice-and-takedown process, prompt response and good records are the most important protections.
Sources and official materials
- IMDA: Codes of Practice and Guidelines (Media) — Content codes, classification guidelines and online safety codes
- IMDA: Licences — Broadcasting and media licensing
- Ministry of Law: Online Safety Commission to start on 29 June 2026 — Commencement, harms covered and Commission powers
- IPOS: Copyright Overview — Copyright Act 2021 ownership and rights
- Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore — Singapore Code of Advertising Practice and guidelines
- POFMA Office — Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act
General information only, current as at 20 October 2026. It is not legal advice and does not create a lawyer–client relationship. Singapore law and regulatory practice change; check current official sources and take advice on the facts of your matter.
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