SA: SAMRO distributes record high $13.3m in royalties

The current year’s distribution in the R&G category surpasses the previous high of R147m distributed in the 2023 financial year by 62.42%. The remarkable accomplishment, SAMRO says, underscores its unwavering commitment to enhancing its members’ financial well-being and supporting the overall health of the music industry. SAMRO says the significant increase is primarily attributed the collective management organisation’s highest licensing revenue.

SAMRO said it negotiated and secured more comprehensive licensing agreements with radio stations and general music users to increase its income.

“The proactive approach in expanding and enhancing licensing deals has broadened the scope of music usage rights and ensured that many music creators benefit from the royalties collected,” SAMRO said. “Prudent expenditure management, improved operational efficiencies and cost-saving measures enabled more of the collected revenues to be available for distribution to rights holders. SAMRO’s diligent research and documentation of compositions have also significantly improved identification rates, now averaging 99.5%.”

Additionally, SAMRO’s integration of music recognition technology (MRT) has significantly enhanced its ability to identify and compensate marginalised music creators. This strategic innovation has resulted in accurate royalty payments to authors, composers, and publishers, whose works were featured on radio and other platforms.

With a near-perfect identification rate of 86% in 2023, SAMRO has demonstrated its commitment to ensuring fair compensation for its members. This achievement reinforces trust and satisfaction among rights holders, maximising royalty distributions and solidifying SAMRO’s position as a leader in music rights management.