NAIROBI – The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) is set to merge the three Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) responsible for collecting royalties to enhance efficiency and better manage the music sector. KECOBO Chairman Joshua Kutuny announced the decision during a sensitisation forum with artists and musicians in Murang’a.
According to Kenya News Agency, the merger, involving the Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP), the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), and the Performers Right Society of Kenya (PRISCK), aims to reduce operational costs and increase returns for artists. “Consolidating these organisations into a single entity will streamline royalty collections, ensuring artists and musicians receive fair compensation for their work,” Kutuny explained.
Kutuny highlighted a significant drop in royalty collections, from Sh 650 million in 2019 to approximately Sh 150 million last year, underscoring the need for improved management in the industry. He emphasized that effective coordination and management of CMOs are crucial for ensuring that all consumers of music contribute fairly to the royalties.
KECOBO plans to collaborate with various entities, including county governments and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), to integrate KECOBO permits into licensing processes for businesses that use music. This integration is expected to boost annual music earnings to over Sh 1 billion.
Kutuny stressed the importance of direct payment to artists by companies, eliminating intermediaries to prevent exploitation. He pointed out the disparity between the popularity of some artists’ music and their financial struggles, attributing this to inefficiencies in the current system. “We are developing automated systems to provide transparency for artists regarding subscribers, views, and earnings,” Kutuny stated.
Addressing concerns about previous aggressive royalty collection methods, Kutuny assured that the Board would adopt more effective and non-coercive strategies. He also emphasized that the increased income for artists would contribute to the production of higher quality music.
KECOBO Executive Director Edward Sigei urged artists to use legal avenues to protect their work and advised them to seek free legal advice from KECOBO when in doubt about contracts. Sigei also called for all artists to register with the Kenya Copyright Board to ensure they can fully benefit from the organisation’s support.
The decision to merge the CMOs marks a significant step towards addressing longstanding issues in Kenya’s music industry, including fair compensation, transparency, and efficient management of royalties.