Article as published on Music Industry Online (MIO).

All is set for Needletime administration

Author: Eddie Hatitye
Date: Dec 2, 2009

In a move set to properly administer Needletime Rights for recording artists, the newly formed Performers' Organisation of South Africa Trust (POSA) has appointed six musicians to represent artists on its 11-member Board of Trustees.

Multiple award-winning classical jazz performer Sibongile Khumalo, afro-soul songstress Judith Sephuma, contemporary artist Helena Hettema, jazz musician Concorde Nkabine and gospel music giant, Ernie Smith are the recording artists who will be part of the new Board.

‘Needletime’ refers to the remuneration that recording artists and record companies receive when their repertoire is performed in public. For a long time, there was no legislation for the collection of needletime rights in South Africa and many had seen this as a major disadvantage for local musicians and composers.

POSA was established to administer Needletime Rights on behalf of the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (SAMRO), which is the body accredited to collect Needletime Rights in South Africa.

The board also includes SAMRO CEO Nick Motsatse, Afrikaans artist Coenie de Villiers and POSA general manager and executive director Pfanani Lishivha. .

Addressing a recent music business workshop, Lishivha expressed the hope that Needletime royalties will generate a second income stream for South African composers who perform their own music.

“Under the Performing Rights royalty structure, SAMRO paid royalties for composers and publishers, but with Needletime, there is an additional benefit for performers,” he said.

Recording artists who wish to assign their Needletime Rights to SAMRO, must register with POSA at www.posatrust.org.za or www.samro.org.za/needletime/needletime_rights/

End of article

More money for musos

Article as published on news24.com


Duncan Alfreds

Cape Town - Musicians in South Africa stand to earn more money from their music as Needle Time rights become accessible, Performers' Organisation of South Africa (Posa) General Manager Pfanani Lishivha said.

Needle Time rights relate to the rights of performers of music for their contribution to tracks.
"It will generate a second income stream for composer/performers and it's a benefit for performers," Lishivha told News24 at a workshop organised by the Cape Music Industry Commission (Cape MIC).

"Under the previous royalty structure, SAMRO (Southern African Music Rights Organisation) paid royalties for composers and publishers, but with Needle Time, there is an additional benefit for performers," he added.

The introduction of Needle Time has met with some controversy as certain stake holders in the music industry have resisted the implementation, but the rationale was to "reward performers of music" Lishivha said.

Lishivha said that the application of Needle Time would not impact on the existing intellectual property rights relating to music. According to POSA, a song has two components: The music work and the performance.

Objections
But radio stations have objected to the implementation of Needle Time, saying it could ruin some stations. "We're not against it (Needle Time) and it's a good thing," Yfm Manager of Strategy and Development Stephan Potgeiter told News24. "But we have major concerns in the way regulatory bodies go about handling the payment of royalties."

"We object to the figure I have here of 1.61% of gross revenue - that's about R2m for us - and it's a big number," he added.
The implementation of Needle Time was well-received by musicians gathered at the Cape MIC workshop, with SA legend Mynie Grove saying: "I think it's a brilliant idea."

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