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When The SABC Doesn't Pay SAMRO, Artists Don't Earn Either

By @MisaNarrates on 01/14/2019 in Article

It’s no secret that the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has been inundated with financial struggle and scandal over the years. 2019 Looks to be no different as City Press reports the public broadcaster still owes the South African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) millions in royalties. 

One of the many lucrative ways for musicians to earn a living is to license their music to mainstream media; like those of the television and film industries. SAMRO is the official collection entity for an artist's royalties. A record has to be in circulation for at least a year before SAMRO will begin paying out. However, in order for any royalties to be paid out without the organisation struggling financially, accounts must be paid in full; which means SABC’s failure to pay off their account places SAMRO and musicians in a financial shortfall. 

Moreover, the ‘struggling artist’ narrative is only further exacerbated by the real-life implication of artists not being paid their dues. Per the SAMRO 2018 Integrated Report, “The SABC licence income makes up about 33% of the radio and television distribution. Therefore, a large portion of the 2018 financial year distributions will be affected by this non-payment.” Given the aforementioned, one would like to consider that due to the SABC struggling to pay their account, they would not incur any more debt. However, this would be ill thought as the SABC balance at SAMRO continues to grow every passing day. 

Imagine songs in high circulation, such as “Huku,” “Fela In Versace,” or “Vur Vai” for instance, being enjoyed by listeners and viewers yet the artist is never paid their royalties. This is the impact of SABC not paying off their SAMRO account. 


 

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