MUSIC RIGHTS REVENUES

The domain of Music Rights represents a vital revenue stream for African musicians. Yet, this is a complex field that weaves together many of the ‘sub-industries’ of the music business – from the act of composing new material, to sales and licensing agreements, broadcasting royalties, and synchronisation deals with the film and television industry. The Music Rights section is the longest in our educational series on the revenue streams of the indsutry and intends to achieve two goals: 1. to provide a comprehensive explanation of how music copyrights work in South Africa and beyond, and how they can generate revenue for artists, and 2. to provide practical information to help artists maximise their earning potential. Perhaps more than any other section in this series, we recommend that you work your way through our Music Rights articles from top to bottom. This is because some of the later – and more specific – articles in this section will proceed from the assumption that you have a good understanding of the basics of copyrights and music royalties.