Digital music rights on agenda at ACCES 2022

The discussion is presented by French collective management organisation (CMO) SACEM and forms part of the ACCES conference programme at Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre. It will take place on 26 November at 13.45pm.

Confirmed panellists include Quinn Law Chambers co-founder Annamary Ishengoma (Tanzania), SACEM international development officer for Africa Akotchayé Okio (France) and Gallo Music Group general manager Rob Cowling, who will address the key steps and collective efforts that need to be taken to navigate the digital rights space from an African perspective.

The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) recently reported that Africa accounts for less than 1% of global royalty collections, despite more efficient collection systems, a substantial increase in revenues, and growing global demand for music from the continent.

With this troubling statistic in mind, as well as other data available for royalty collections on the continent, the panellists will try to provide solutions to local and Africa-wide challenges defining this space, and what African creators can do to utilise it to their advantage.

“Right now, there is a surge in digital, and the space is reshuffling the cards positively for African creators in terms of exposure,” Okio said. “We just need to ensure that they are remunerated, and much of that has to do with education about their digital rights, because they can actually leverage digital. We also need to do a lot in terms of advocacy and education to sensitise artists to the opportunities that exist in this space.”

The panel discussion forms part of the ACCES 2022 conference sessions, which also includes networking, workshops, keynotes and exhibitions.

The three-day ACCES conference will feature a dynamic pool of more than 60 local and international speakers, businesses and showcasing artists from over 50 countries.

View the full ACCES programme here.

Register for the event here. African delegates register for free.

About ACCES

ACCES is a pan-African trade show for music industry players to exchange ideas, discover new talent and create business linkages. ACCES is held in a different African city every year, attracting active music industry players from across the globe. ACCES 2022 is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation, a non-profit pan-African organisation, in partnership with Siemens Stiftung, Goethe-Institut, Alliance Française, Ziiki Media, Wasafi Media, the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sports of Tanzania, the National Arts Council of Tanzania (BASATA), SACEM, and Salon des Industries Musicales d’Afrique Francophone (SIMA). See all our wonderful ACCES 2022 sponsors and partners here.

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