In the last few years, SAMRO has been on a drive to encourage DJ licensing among South Africa’s DJs. However, progress in the uptake on DJ licences has been slow.
Some South African DJs are still not licensed due to misconceptions in the industry, here are some quick Q & As to refer to in order to understand more about DJ licensing:
Q: Is it true that SAMRO is trying to make more money by charging DJs licence fees?
A: This is incorrect. DJ licensing collections form part of the royalty payments made to composers, lyricists and publishers for the use of their copyrighted music.
Q: How much does a DJ licence cost?
A: A DJ licence costs about R 935.00 including VAT for the first year, which if calculated per month would amount to under R80.00 per month.
Q: There is the perception that venue owners must submit playlists to SAMRO on behalf of DJs. Is this true?
A: No, this is not so. , Every DJ must keep a playlist to be submitted to SAMRO for SAMRO to calculate a payment fee per use in line with the playlist. After the annual payment, DJs only pay per use of the music on their play list to calculate the fee for each year after the first year.
Q: As members of SAMRO, should DJs still pay for a DJ licence?
A: Yes this is true. The SAMRO membership enables DJs to get paid royalties for their own music; a DJ licence enables DJs to pay for the use of other people’s music (in order for those musicians and composers to get compensated for the DJ’s use of their copyrighted music).
Q. If someone gives a DJ permission to play their music, does the DJ still have to pay for a licence?
A: Yes this is true, unless the DJ produces written approvals from all the lyricists, composers, record companies and publishers whose music they use as proof of permission. However, no musician or composer would want their work used without compensation or remuneration, as their music is their livelihood.
Q. Is it illegal for DJs to copy music?
A: By law, any person making use of music for public performances needs a licence. Any DJ sampling, making copies or mixing another person’s music without a DJ licence does so illegally, and this is a criminal act. By law, it is prohibited to make copies of any one’s music without a licence, and is a criminal offence.
Apply for your DJ licence today
You can visit the SAMRO website www.samro.org.za under the music section, where you will find the relevant application forms. You can send an email to SAMRO and a SAMRO agent will contact you and help you get licensed. You can also visit SAMRO branches directly or call SAMRO and someone will assist you in getting licensed.
Call 011 712 8362/63/73 or email: licensing@samro.org.za or thobile.mokoena@samro.org.za
