This Week's Opportunities

• Joburg Theatre: "After the Fire" Submissions: A call for new, cutting-edge works from young directors and writers to be staged in 2026. Submit Your Work →
• ArtExplora International Residency: A global residency program for artists and researchers in Paris, with a focus on social and environmental themes. Explore the Residency →
• SAMRO Music Creation Support Fund: A crucial fund for SAMRO members to support the creation of new musical works. Apply for Funding →

The Two Copyrights Every Artist Owns

Every piece of recorded music has two separate copyrights attached to it, and they generate different streams of income. Understanding this is non-negotiable.

• The Master Right (©): This is the copyright in the sound recording itself—the actual audio file. It generates royalties from streams, downloads, and physical sales. As we discussed last week, if you're independent, you own this. If you sign a traditional deal, the label owns this.
• The Publishing Right (℗): This is the copyright in the underlying composition—the melody, harmony, and lyrics. It generates "publishing royalties" whenever the song is used. This includes radio play, TV/film syncs, live performances (by you or a cover band), and a portion of every stream. This right belongs to the songwriter(s) by default.

Before you get into the studio, it's crucial to agree on the ownership splits of the song you are creating. Properly documenting who wrote what percentage of a composition is the first step to getting paid correctly. Read our free Split Sheet guide to learn how →

The Master is the specific movie adaptation. The Publishing is the script—and it can be licensed for many different movies.

Your Royalties Toolkit: SAMRO, CAPASSO, SAMPRA & RISA

Registering with the correct local bodies is the only way to ensure you, and everyone who worked on your record, gets paid. Here are the essentials for every South African music creator:

• SAMRO: For Songwriters & Composers. They collect Performance Royalties from radio, TV, and live shows for the use of your composition.
• CAPASSO: Also for Songwriters & Composers. They collect Mechanical Royalties from streams, downloads, and physical sales.
• SAMPRA: For Master Owners & Performers. The South African Music Performance Rights Association collects royalties for the master owner (you, if you're independent) and the session musicians who played on the recording whenever it's broadcast on radio or TV.
• RISA: For Master Owners. The Recording Industry of South Africa is not a royalty collector, but you must register with them to get your ISRC codes—a unique digital fingerprint for each of your tracks, essential for tracking sales and streams globally.

The Black Coffee Model: Building an Empire on Publishing

Black Coffee is more than a global superstar DJ; he is a brilliant creative entrepreneur. While his live shows generate massive income, the foundation of his long-term wealth is his ownership and smart management of his publishing rights.

• The Global Hit as an Annuity: Think of a track like "We Dance Again." Every single time that song is played by another DJ in a club in Ibiza, broadcast on a radio station in London, or used in a YouTube video in Brazil, it generates a performance royalty that flows back to him as the songwriter.
• The Power of Sync: His music has been licensed for countless TV shows, movies, and advertisements. Each of these "sync" placements comes with a significant upfront fee and generates ongoing performance royalties.
• Building a Catalogue: By consistently releasing music and retaining his publishing rights, he has built a catalogue of valuable IP. This catalogue is an asset that appreciates over time and can eventually be sold for a life-changing sum.

The Takeaway: The ultimate goal for the creative entrepreneur isn't just to have a hit; it's to own the assets that the hit creates. Mastering your publishing is how you play the long game and build true, generational wealth from your art.