Artistes call for overhaul of royalty collection system

Nodumo Moyo, Mbulelo Mpofu

ARTISTES in Bulawayo and surrounding provinces have called for an overhaul of the country’s royalty collection and distribution system, arguing that the challenges facing musicians extend beyond unpaid royalties and point to deeper administrative and structural weaknesses within the industry.

The concerns emerged during a Parliamentary public hearing on Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) and the Zimbabwe Council of Copyrights (Zicco), which was held on Tuesday at Amakhosi Cultural Centre in Bulawayo.

The hearing formed part of a nationwide programme by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services, which is conducting public consultations in five cities between Monday and

Friday to examine the operations of Zimura, Zicco and the broader economic challenges confronting Zimbabwean musicians.

The hearings provide artistes and other stakeholders with a platform to directly raise concerns over royalty collection, distribution, representation, accountability and the effectiveness of organisations established to protect creators’ economic interests.

At the Bulawayo hearing, however, it quickly became apparent that the debate extends far beyond whether musicians are receiving royalty payments. Vocal coach and artiste management agency founder Bothwell Nkomo, popularly known as Gog’Bekezela, argued that royalty disputes were merely a symptom of wider weaknesses in the administration of the music industry.

“Musicians are crying about royalties, but royalties are not the disease. Administration is the disease. The real problem is what we call mismanagement of royalties, which is actually the absence of proper management. We cannot fix royalties without fixing the value chain,” he said.

For artistes, royalty collection is intended to provide a vital income stream by ensuring creators are compensated whenever their music is commercially exploited or publicly used. However, questions over who collects the money, how it is accounted for, how it is distributed and how musicians can verify collections have become central to the ongoing debate.

Digital entrepreneur Wilfred Arthur Mumba raised concerns over the existence of two organisations collecting royalties within the music sector, arguing that the arrangement had created room for competition, duplication and inconsistencies.

“Already, we have a conflict of interest because it’s the same people collecting the same royalties. They are operating like the same music ecosystem,” he said.

Mumba proposed the establishment of an independent central body to oversee royalty collection and distribution while allowing CMOs to retain their role of collecting royalties from music users. Under his proposal, CMOs would be required to submit detailed records showing how much had been collected, which clients had paid, what amounts remained outstanding and how the funds were subsequently distributed.

The hearing also exposed concerns over unity within the music industry. Musician Mzoe 7 questioned why many established artistes were absent from the proceedings despite the challenges affecting the sector. He argued that divisions within the industry were weakening collective action and creating the perception that artistes affiliated with different organisations were operating in isolation from one another.

“I think I was the only mainstream artiste here today. And I asked myself why?,” he said.

There were also calls for a more coordinated approach to royalty collection and distribution, particularly as the music industry continues to evolve through digital platforms and new forms of content consumption.

Vincent Sihlabo, chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Media, Information and Broadcasting Services and Member of Parliament for Mangwe. Sihlabo said Parliament’s objective was to understand the root causes of disputes between musicians and CMOs rather than simply assign blame.

“We want to establish whether this, which is wrong, is something to do with the management failures, or is something to do with the structural composition, or is something to do with the monetary,” said Sihlabo.

He said Parliament wanted to foster a more harmonious working relationship between CMOs and musicians, arguing that properly functioning self-regulatory organisations should not be persistently locked in disputes with the very artistes they are meant to serve.

The debate comes at a critical time for Zimbabwe’s creative economy. Music is no longer consumed primarily through physical sales and traditional broadcasting. Streaming services, social media platforms, mobile technologies and other digital channels have created new opportunities for artistes while simultaneously making the royalty ecosystem more complex.

For the system to function effectively, musicians need confidence that their works are properly registered, their use is accurately tracked and the revenue generated is transparently accounted for and distributed fairly.

The Parliamentary hearings could therefore provide an important opportunity to shift the royalty debate away from recurring accusations and towards practical structural reforms. The hearings continue today in Mutare following yesterday’s session in Masvingo.