How to - Legal

How to collect music royalties through SAMPRA

By Music In Africa Foundation

02 Oct 2023 - 12:48

Music royalties are a key revenue stream for music makers and record labels, and can often be the difference between the ability to earn a living from music or not. This is why it is imperative for those who want to make money from their music to become members of the relevant collective management organisations (CMOs).

For those who are new to this space, CMOs are entities charged with administering music rights on behalf of creators and copyright owners to users who pay royalties for the usage of musical works. The CMO then collects these royalties and pays the copyright owners what they are owed for a service fee. If you would like to know more about the different music rights, visit our Revenue Streams for African Musicians page here.

In this article, will look at what recording artists and companies in Africa need to do to become members of the South African Music Performance Rights Association (SAMPRA). A licensed non-profit CMO, SAMPRA administers music rights known as neighbouring rights (also known as needletime rights) on behalf of recordings artists and recording companies, jointly. SAMPRA does this by licensing music users such as radio broadcasters, retailers, pubs, clubs, restaurants, and other businesses that use music in their establishments. The licence fees collected from these establishments by SAMPRA are processed and paid as music royalties to recording artists and record companies whose tracks were performed by these establishments during a given period.

Below is a useful guide to signing up with SAMPRA to start earning money from neighbouring/needletime rights:

Option 1: Applying as a Performer Member – SAMPRA Connect

Visit the member portal HERE.
Select Sign Up if you don’t have an active portal account.
Confirm your email address to finish setting up your account.
Sign in to apply for membership as a Performer Member.
Select the Apply as a Performer tab and complete the application form in full. The application will require you to fill in your personal details.
You will be required to upload a copy of your ID, proof of residence and proof of banking.
After completing the application form, you will need to validate it by checking that all the information is correct.
Proceed to accept the terms and conditions, and then click the Submit tab to submit the application form.
You will receive feedback about your application status within five working days.
Should you need assistance with your application, you can email SAMPRA at info@sampra.org.za or call +27 11 561 9660 during office hours.

Option 2: Applying as a Record Company – SAMPRA Website

If you would like to apply for membership on behalf of a record company, you can apply online or download the application form, complete it, and email it back to SAMPRA.
To apply online, go HERE.
Select Online Form and complete it in full.
If you prefer to work with a downloadable form, download the form HERE and complete it in full. Email the completed application form to info@sampra.org.za.
If you would like to notify SAMPRA of all the tracks that your record company owns, kindly send an email to info@sampra.org.za and request for a Repertoire Notification Form.