NEWS

Dear Member, Welcome to the latest edition of Beat Bulletin. We bring you updates on the following: Amended MOI Notification of works SABC payment Minutes of the AGM Yours in Music, SAMRO

Dear SAMRO Member It is with great excitement that we present our first Beat Bulletin of 2018! This year is a particularly exciting one for us an organisation, because of the awesome changes and events we have planned to help us improve our service offering to our music creators and licensees. Most of these changes will be […]

Dear SAMRO Member, The festive season is finally upon us! A lot of us will be preparing to drive off to our holidays, while many musicians will be offloading their luggage from one tour bus and packing their instruments on to another – with myriad events, festivals and gigs to appear at this December. No […]

Dear SAMRO Licensee What sets your business or establishment apart from the rest? The music and arts space can be brutally competitive, and it’s important to continuously expand your reach and evolve with the times and needs of your market – who knows, it might take you to places you’ve never previously explored. In this […]

Dear SAMRO Member What sets you apart from the rest? With so many talented artists and performers around, the music and arts space can be brutally competitive. Added to this, the ever-evolving market and trends that you have to contend with make it difficult to shine above the rest. It’s important to stay true to […]

Dear SAMRO Member October is almost upon us! ’Tis the season to be jolly… well, almost! We are approaching that exciting time of the year – a very busy period for musicians, with plenty of gigs, function bookings, live performances and jamming to the best of new releases. Will we be ushering the New Year […]

Dear SAMRO Licensee Welcome to the latest edition of Licensed to Play. With some 15 000 members, SAMRO is the largest music copyright administrator on the continent, with 56 years of protecting the rights of musicians, authors and composers. It’s through continued perseverance, hard work, leadership, strong partnerships, our talented members, committed licensees and a deep […]

Dear SAMRO Member We are halfway through the year – how is your “glass” looking? Half full or half empty? Whichever way you look at it, there’s no turning back. We can only take a moment to reflect and re-evaluate the goals we have set ourselves. And if we have not done so already, re-look […]

Dear SAMRO Member We are fast approaching the halfway mark of 2017 and what a year it has been already! There’s no rest or slowly easing into the winter season for us at SAMRO though. After the success of our CEO Music Industry Roundtable in Durban, we have already started to work on the next […]

Dear SAMRO Licensee Welcome to the April edition of SAMRO’s Licensed to Play newsletter. In this edition, we take a look at Southern Africa’s foremost dramatic licensing agency, the Dramatic, Artistic and Literary Rights Organisation (DALRO). DALRO’s Theatricals division is responsible for administering the rights of authors, visual artists, poets and playwrights, and this week […]

Dear SAMRO Member Welcome to another edition of the Beat Bulletin. We are speedily approaching winter, waking up to chilly mornings and braving the icy evening wind. But worry not, for in this issue we have hot news and interviews that will be sure to fire up your mood and keep you warm. KZN, are […]

BEAT BULLETIN MARCH 2017 Dear SAMRO Member, Welcome to Freedom Month and of course your latest edition of the Beat Bulletin. To kick things off, we would like to thank all the people who braved the erratic weather in Nelspruit last month to attend the 3rd series of the CEO Roundtable Discussion. We are grateful […]

Dear SAMRO Member We are halfway through the year – how is your “glass” looking? Half full or half empty? Whichever way you look at it, there’s no turning back. We can only take a moment to reflect and re-evaluate the goals we have set ourselves. And if we have not done so already, re-look […]

Dear SAMRO Member, It’s hard to believe that the first month of 2017 is almost over. Not so long, we were celebrating the New Year and making all sorts of resolutions to guide us throughout the year. After the success of our two music industry round-table discussions, we are happy to announce that the third […]

Dear SAMRO Member, 2016 is well underway and in this edition of the Beat Bulletin we will continue to unpack the ins and outs of the South African music landscape, including SAMRO’s business. The music industry is a complex business and our mission with these newsletters is to pass on critical music industry insights to […]

Dear SAMRO Member, Welcome to another edition of the Beat Bulletin. It’s been a great year for South African music with a number of our local artists doing amazing work.  From several artists developing live performance circuits overseas and winning international awards, to Cassper Nyovest achieving his dream of filling up The Dome. In this […]

Welcome to another edition of SAMRO’s Licensed to Play. With only a month left until we bid farewell to 2015, in this edition we shift the focus and take a closer look at how community radio stations can secure a licence with SAMRO. In the community radio licence article, we provide you with all the […]

Dear SAMRO Member, It’s another edition of the Beat Bulletin and spring is well under way. As the temperature rises and Spring sets in, it looks like we are in for a hot festive season. In this edition we focus more on publishing and what music composers need to know should they wish to appoint […]

Welcome to another edition of Beat Bulletin. Spring has sprung and in true form South Africa has been abuzz with a plethora of live music, arts and entertainment. This is also a very important time for SAMRO, as we look forward to the upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November 2015. In this issue we […]

Dear Music User, Welcome to another edition of Licensed to Play. South Africa is rich with females who are in the music business and as part of celebrating Women’s month, we saw fit to play our part by featuring young female musicians who are making major moves in the music industry. In this edition, we […]

Dear SAMRO Member, Welcome to another edition of the Beat Bulletin. South Africa is rich with females who are in the music business and as part of celebrating Women’s month, we saw fit to play our part by featuring some of the young females in the industry doing great work. In this edition, we chat […]

Dear SAMRO Member, Welcome to another edition of the Beat Bulletin. We hope all of you have been keeping warm this winter season. In this issue, we take a look at the importance of finding the right management team that will support your career aspirations in the music industry. This is a great read for […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators, The past month in music has been an eventful one. Sadly it has not all been good news. In this issue, SAMRO pays tribute to some great musicians who passed on in the past month: mbira musician Minister Collins Chabane, rapper Nkululeko “Flabba” Habedi, Kwaito icon Senyaka Kekana as well as […]

I would like to start by congratulating South African flautist, SAMRO member and composer Wouter Kellerman and composer Ricky Kej for winning a Grammy Award in the category Best New Age Album for their album Winds of Samsara. This is a great achievement and one worth celebrating. February being the month of love, in this […]

I would like to start by congratulating South African flautist, SAMRO member and composer Wouter Kellerman and composer Ricky Kej for winning a Grammy Award in the category Best New Age Album for their album Winds of Samsara. This is a great achievement and one worth celebrating in a big way. February being the month […]

Dear Music Users We are fast approaching the end of the year. This being our last issue for 2014 we at SAMRO would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best during the festive season. It has been a very eventful year for all in the industry and we look ahead to […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators In this issue of Beat Bulletin, we were privileged to have been able to do an interview with Lulu Dikana before her untimely passing on December 4, 2014. Dikana, the talented soul singer and composer, was open and available to share  her insights and great musical talents with the world. We […]

Dear SAMRO Music In this issue, we look at the various collecting societies and the roles they play in the music industry. South African music gem Lira, gives us some insights on how to achieve music career success and we take a brief look at the launch of the Awards for Backing Vocals and Session […]

Dear SAMRO Music Users, As we celebrate our heritage and 20 years of democracy we should not forget what makes us unique as South Africans; our diversity and the rainbow nation of eclectic sounds and talents. As part of our heritage month celebrations we review music festivals in South Africa, and music festival venues and […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators, As we celebrate our heritage and 20 years of democracy, let’s not forget what makes us unique as South Africans – our diversity and the rainbow nation of eclectic sounds and talents. In this heritage month, we speak to multi-talented composer, singer, and actor Amanda Strydom to find out what heritage […]

Dear Music Creators,   Over the last 20 years South Africa’s social, economic and political spheres have drastically transformed, and so has music. As we celebrate 20 years of freedom and democracy in our country, we have dedicated this issue to also celebrating 20 years of music, and we look at South Africa’s music journey […]

Dear Contents: THE SOUTH AFRICAN MUSIC JOURNEY AS TOLD BY THE LEGENDARY DJ CHRISTOS THE SAMRO JOURNEY, KEY MILESTONES IN THE LAST 20 YEARS SAMRO LICENSEES MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE CELEBRATING HISTORY COPYRIGHT LAW THE MUSIC INDUSTRY APPLAUDES SOUTH AFRICAN TALENT AT THE 2ND WAWELA MUSIC AWARDS A TRIBUTE TO THE ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS WHO […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators, 2014 is in full swing and the first months have set the tempo for another great year for the music industry.There’s a lot to look forward to and in this issue of Beat Bulletin, we’re tuning in to some of the topics that will affect our members this year. We’re talking […]

Dear SAMRO Music User Another busy year has come to an end – we’d like to thank all our music users for their support during 2013.  During the past year we’ve achieved a great deal, including launching the first-ever Wawela Music Awards to recognise composing and songwriting excellence, opening a new contact centre at Durban’s […]

Workflow Access: SAMRO Workflow The Beat Bulletin December 2013 Dear SAMRO Music Creators It’s hard to believe this is the last Beat Bulletin of 2013. Looking back on the year, we’re thrilled to have given life to our commitment to support, celebrate and develop our music creators. This has happened through a number of new initiatives, […]

Dear SAMRO Music User We hear their familiar melodies repeatedly, sometimes every day, cueing in our favourite television shows. Yet have we ever paused to wonder how the theme tunes for soapies and other programmes earn money for the composers who create them? This month we take a closer look at how the licensing process […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators The success of our inaugural Wawela Music Awards is still fresh in our memory, but we’re already gearing up to make next year’s event extra-special. That’s why we’re giving SAMRO music creators even more time to prepare their entries for the 2014 awards, and you can read about it in this […]

Workflow Access: SAMRO Workflow The Beat Bulletin September 2013 Dear SAMRO Music Creators Spring has definitely sprung and this usually brings with it spring cleaning. Not in the classic sense of the word but rather it encourages us to make changes. SAMRO is being proactive in this area by making changes within the organisation; changes that […]

Dear Music Users It is my privilege to address you as the new CEO of SAMRO, having taken over the reins from Nick Motsatse just two months  ago. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Nick all the best in his new endeavors and to thank him for helping me ease into his […]

I am truly excited about our first story, the highly anticipated SAMRO documentary Notes 2 Notes, which aired on 1 September 2013 . The article may help you understand music rights better as it explains what benefits they can yield for you throughout the different mediums. The documentary commemorates our 50-year anniversary and is a […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators First of all, we would like to extend a warm welcome to Sipho Dlamini, the new CEO of SAMRO, who took over the reins from Nick Motsatse at the beginning of July. His tenure kicked off on a high note with the inaugural Wawela Music Awards, which celebrated our country’s top composers and […]

Technology is galloping along at such a breathtaking pace that sometimes we feel we can barely keep up. And so it is in the music industry, where complex multi-platform media offerings are becoming more and more common – and SAMRO has to keep up with developments from a licensing point of view. In this edition […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators This month we are immensely proud to announce the winners in the first ever WAWELA Music Awards, proudly brought to you by SAMRO. These winners are SAMRO members who, as the isiZulu word “wawela” suggests, have “gone beyond” expectations and have achieved great things with their compositions at local and international level. Since it’s vital to […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators This month we are sad to announce the departure of our long-serving CEO, Nick Motsatse, who has captained the SAMRO ship with integrity during his seven years at the helm, and has helped transform it into the robust and progressive organisation it is today. We at SAMRO wish him well in his […]

Dear SAMRO Music Creators It’s every musician’s dream to crack the international market, and we’re proud that many South Africans do just that – often against formidable odds. That’s why SAMRO is thrilled to introduce the inaugural Wawela Music Awards, to honour our homegrown composers and authors whose original musical works have made a mighty […]

Dear SAMRO Music Users It’s a question we at SAMRO get asked often: where does one draw the line between using music for business and for leisure? When does the personal use of music cross that line and become the public use of music – therefore requiring a SAMRO licence? In this issue, we explore […]

It’s inspiring to hear Pops Mohamed praising house concerts as fostering “a meaningful exchange between artist and audience”. With the current shortage of live performance venues around the country, such events are becoming an important way for musicians to get their music heard, hone their art and generate income. This month, we look at the […]

DEAR MUSIC USERS Welcome to 2013! We trust this will be a fruitful and prosperous year for all our valued licensees. This month we take a closer look at narrowcasting and the opportunities that this form of music usage offers music users. Plus we introduce you to our nationwide licensing sales team, who are at […]

DEAR MUSIC USERS The on-line space is incredible in the growing opportunities it offers to music creators and music users but as the lines blur between new and traditional media, so too does it become more difficult to know when you are on the right or wrong side of music licensing. In this month’s issue […]

DEAR MUSIC USERS These days it seems like everything is going digital, including us. It was with great excitement that we recently launched our redesigned website offering, boasting a host of new features that will add value to your relationship with SAMRO. Now waiting in the wings is SAMRO’s new Web Portal ready to take […]

DEAR MUSIC USERS Performing live at a SAMRO-licensed venue is a wonderful way for music creators to earn royalties, but how can music users help educate bands and musicians about their rights? We answer some of these questions in this edition. This month, we also bid farewell to long-serving SAMRO Chairman Ms Annette Emdon and […]

DEAR SAMRO MUSIC CREATORS Change is in the air… but it is, without a doubt exciting change for SAMRO and our members, as we prepare to change our corporate form. We invite you to attend the upcoming AGM and find out all about SAMRO’s proposed conversion to a primary co-operative. In this edition, we’ll also […]

DEAR MUSIC USERS Not all music users utilise the same quantity of music, or in the same way. Therefore, it follows that a commercial music radio station will not pay the same licence fee to SAMRO as a small hairdressing salon that has the radio playing in the background for its customers’ enjoyment. Therefore, in […]

DEAR SAMRO MUSIC CREATORS As a copyright asset manager, SAMRO not only collects and distributes royalties but also treats members’ original musical works as precious items of value. Furthermore, your membership entitles you to a number of benefits, and SAMRO acts as a copyright repository of your works should any disputes arise over your authorship […]

DEAR SAMRO LICENSEES Welcome to 2012 – the year in which SAMRO proudly celebrates its 50th anniversary as Africa’s leading copyright administration society. In this newsletter, we’ll be introducing you to our sales team, providing a breakdown of licensing revenue collected in 2011, and profiling SAMRO licensee, T-Musicman, as well as SAMRO members the African […]

DEAR SAMRO MEMBERS Listen… do you hear it? It’s the rhythm of our pulsating musical heartbeat; the lifeblood of our industry. In this edition of our electronic newsletter, we’ll be exploring that beat from a performance point of view. So, we’ll be looking at Performing Rights – a much-misunderstood type of rights that SAMRO administers […]

DEAR MUSIC USERS We often hear the refrain: “Why should I pay SAMRO a licence fee for hosting live music if I’m already paying the artists?” It’s a valid question, as it can be tricky to grasp the complex chain of music rights administration – from the creation of a musical work to paying for […]