Musicians and Concert Organisers Call for Review of Music Copyright Fee System

Musicians, singers and concert organisers have called for a review of the current system of copyright and related charges imposed on musical performances, warning that excessive fees could place an additional burden on the local music industry and the public.

Speaking at a media briefing held in Colombo, Rohan de Silva, former President of the Singers’ Association, said the music industry had been facing difficulties since 2011.

He claimed that the industry had been subject to taxes ranging from 10 to 25 percent, while organisers had also been required to make payments to the police. He said singers and musicians were also charging fees that concert organisers could not afford.

According to him, the current situation had severely affected the concert industry, and the recently introduced legislation should be amended. He said the President had been informed about the concerns raised by those in the industry and that recommendations had been discussed.

He also called on the Ministry of Trade to take action before the situation became more serious. He argued that the government should determine a reasonable level of copyright payments for songs, rather than leaving such decisions entirely to individual associations.

De Silva further said that the public had once enjoyed live music more freely, but that various restrictions and costs had reduced opportunities for public entertainment. He called for a tax system that the country could sustain without placing an additional burden on concert organisers and musicians.

He stressed that singers, lyricists and musicians should all benefit fairly, while the public should also have access to entertainment at an affordable cost.

Pradeep K., leader of Sahara Flash, said there had previously been no major dispute regarding copyright payments and expressed concern that different associations could create divisions within the music industry.

He said copyright payments were necessary for singers, musicians and songs, but argued that the charges should remain affordable for organisers. He pointed out that concerts held outside Colombo often charge only around Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 for admission, questioning how such events could survive if high copyright fees were imposed.

He also said that not every song was popular, and that concert organisers and the industry could help promote less popular songs and provide opportunities for their singers and musicians.

Sampath Kumarasinghe, President of the Association of Music Organisers, called for greater government involvement and consultation with all parties before decisions affecting the industry were implemented.

He alleged that some singers were unaware that their songs had been included under certain associations for copyright collection. He also questioned the transparency and auditing of funds collected by such organisations and called for their financial activities to be properly examined.

Kumarasinghe further questioned why authority over such matters had been given to private organisations and called for government intervention to ensure that decisions were not made arbitrarily or according to private interests.

He also raised concerns about the fees being charged for music played at events, including claims that Rs. 5,000 was being charged for a piece of a nonstop song, questioning how much of such payments ultimately reached the relevant artists.

The organisers called on the authorities to intervene, saying that excessive charges could discourage people from attending concerts and negatively affect the country's music industry.

They urged the authorities to take steps to ensure a fair balance between the rights of singers, composers, lyricists, musicians, concert organisers and the public, while preventing the country's live music industry from declining further.