Music Organizers Who Are "BLIND" About Royalty

source : http://www.jakarta100bars.com/2016/11/djakarta-warehouse-project-dwp.html

Music since ancient times has become one of the most popular entertainment facilities for people. People from all walks of life, not limited to social and economic status, education, age or gender status can enjoy music. Today people can popularize their work through many means, even without large capital. Unfortunately, because music is easily popularized, the easier it is for a sound artistry to be hijacked by irresponsible parties.

Indonesians still have very low awareness about the obligation to pay royalties to musicians. In fact, many individuals and business people who have consciously or unconsciously violated the rights of musicians. What is meant by royalties in this context? Royalties are money paid to musicians as a form of responsibility from those who use the song. Many music festival organizers or users of the work may ask why they have to pay this royalty, even though they have already paid for the artist in question to perform the song.

This royalty is actually a form of appreciation for songwriters in an economical form, because many cases of composers of music are very well-known songs sung by other artists, but themselves do not get financial benefits from the songs they created. Though this royalty is actually a right that must be accepted by the composer of a particular song during his lifetime, and remains attached to 70 years after his death. In Indonesia alone there are 3 institutions appointed as intermediaries to receive royalty payments from the payers to the composers concerned, namely WAMI, RAI, and KCI.

The number of organizers of music festivals and parties that use composers' works such as restaurants that play songs in their restaurants, malls, karaoke, even radio and other public places, makes the reception of royalties in Indonesia counted very small, namely one million US dollars in 2017. This figure is very small when compared to the USA whose revenues reached 1 billion US dollars in 2017. It's a fantastic difference. While regarding the amount of the deposit, it can be negotiated. Because, the most important thing is to build awareness of the event organizers first. Although, it is usually paid to WAMI, it is 2 percent of the price of the ticket or the price of the production of the event.

Until now, the organizers of major music festivals even though many still do not pay royalties, say Ismaya Group with a large event such as the Djakarta Warehouse Project which turned out to have just started paying royalties since 2017.

Judging from the case above, the music organizer should be aware that royalties are important, not just paying the artist who displays the work, but the organizer pays royalties to the author of the work by paying it to parties such as WAMI or KCI. Because these parties can protect and improve the work of songwriters.

Writer :

Wulan Damayanti