Artists United commits to assisting SAMRO to collect data on artists with outstanding royalty payments

Creative representative body, Artists United, has committed to assisting the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO) in collecting data on artists who still have outstanding royalty payments.

On Thursday, along with some political parties, artists marched to SAMRO's offices in Braamfontein to hand over a memorandum of demands.

READ: Artists protesting against alleged corruption at SAMRO call for whistleblower protection

The musicians were calling for transparency within the organisation, a change of management, and accountability from the board, among other calls.

Artists who have been in the industry for decades came out on Thursday in protest, calling for SAMRO to adhere to policies set out in the Companies Act. They complain that the company has been claiming their royalties for years, adding that they are owed millions for their work.

Artists United convener, Owen Ndlovu, said they had taken it upon themselves to help SAMRO with speeding up the process of paying artists.

"What we're busy with now is collecting all the data so that we can forward it to SAMRO, so SAMRO doesn't have an excuse. We know they've got challenges now in terms of collecting the data. That's been the main challenge. Most of the time, you will find that the artists come to SAMRO, SAMRO is expecting them to [prove] if they do have their music played on radio, which they normally failed [to do]."

Ndlovu said with their intervention, they hope to erase the challenges most artists face when claiming their royalties.

JOIN US ON WHATSAPP

Stay ahead of the story: Join our WhatsApp channel today.

Want breaking news at your fingertips, the moment it happens? Our WhatsApp Channel is the fastest way to stay connected with the stories that matter most.

From breaking news alerts to exclusive stories, analysis and must-read features - you’ll get it all directly on your phone.

Joining is simple.

Just click Follow on our WhatsApp Channel and stay informed.