MBABANE – Members of Parliament (MP) applauded the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs for the implementation of paying artists royalties.
Worth mentioning, the project is still at process level and artists have not yet started benefitting.
The MPs who applauded the initiative include the MP Kwanele Ndzimandze from Mpolonjeni Constituency and Nathi ‘Mdockies’ Hlophe, who is an Mtfongwaneni Constituency MP.
The Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs accepted the applause through Minister Bongani Nzima. During this year’s Eswatini Arts Summit, held at the Institute of Development Management (IDM), Executive Director Mmeli Hlanze announced that royalty collection will commence on April 1. In a recent interview with Music in Africa, Hlanze assured stakeholders that transparency will be a key focus in the distribution process of these royalties.
“ESWACOS will hold annual general meetings to report back to rights holders and the public on its collections and distributions. These meetings will provide a platform for accountability,” Hlanze stated.
Music royalties are payments made to rights holders such as songwriters, composers and recording artists for the use of their music, earned whenever it’s played, performed or reproduced.
These royalties are derived from copyrights, which give exclusive rights to creators and are a primary form of payment in the music industry.
It is important to note that the distribution process represents the final stage in the royalty collection effort. This process will employ modern technology to monitor music usage, analyse data, and identify the rightful recipients of the royalties.
These technologies are readily available, and ESWACOS, like other Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), will leverage them as part of their distribution strategy.
In line with the upcoming royalty collection, ESWACOS is promoting awareness about the importance of copyright and neighbouring rights among artists in Eswatini.
More educational workshops and training sessions are being planned to help artists understand the complexities of copyright law and how it can benefit their creative careers.
These initiatives not only aim to foster a better understanding of rights among artists, but also encourage them to register with the organisation to benefit from royalty collection. By increasing artist registration, ESWACOS can ensure a broader reach in its collection efforts and more equitable distribution of royalties.
Furthermore, Hlanze indicated that a commitment to fair and transparent practices will support the continued growth of the creative industry in Eswatini.
By ensuring that artists are compensated for their work, ESWACOS aims to strengthen the local music and arts scene, enabling artists to invest more time and resources into their craft.
Leave a comment