People often mistake Ghana Music Rights Organizations’ (GHAMRO)
s duties with that of Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) but Mr. Emmanuel
Cobbinah the vice chairman of MUSIGA in Central Region cleared things up with
Pa Kay on Skery Spark Talk.
“When people see the collection of royalties they mostly
think it is MUSIGA and they come to the office to make trouble but what I want
to tell them is that, GHAMRO and MUSIGA are two opposite organizations. MUSIGA
takes purposely the music aspect and GHAMRO takes the royalties not only for
music but for those who write books, act movies, painting work etc. but most
people don’t understand royalties” he explained.
He said most instrumentalists should have collected
royalties but they don’t understand it so they don’t collect it. The meaning is
if one does his work at the studio and someone plays the trumpet for him he can
negotiate with him if he has to pay ghc20 for the trumpeter. The trumpeter can
ask him to pay ghc5 instead and for the rest of the money which is ghc15 he can
take it and rather add the trumpeters name to the copyright, that he played the
trumpet. “it is just like someone who weaves a basket if he gives it to you as
a gift and you get a prize because of it you will have to share it with the one
who wove it but if he sells it to you and you get a prize, he doesn’t have a
share in it.” He added
Mr. Cobbinah revealed that very soon car drivers will have
to pay copyrights just like bars, restaurants etc are paying because some have
a lot movies on their pendrives which they use to entertain passengers. That
tax will not only cover music but movies as well.
He also made it clear that you register as a member of
MUSIGA and then you register your works at GHAMRO to get a copyright. He said
that very soon a chat will be provided so that every song that a dj or
presenter plays he will mark to make it clear that he played this or that
because some people have made songs which are never played but they still
collect same amount as those whose music are mostly played.
#SKERY_SPARK_TALK.
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