Hon. Peace Mutuuzo, Minister of State for Gender and Culture, has provided fresh insight into how the government plans to implement the newly approved copyright framework, an initiative aimed at transforming how creatives earn from their work.
In a recent interview, Hon. Mutuuzo revealed that the government is in the process of establishing a digital system through which artists will upload their music for tracking and monetization.
The platform is designed to ensure that creatives benefit financially from their intellectual property, regardless of where their content is played or distributed.
According to her, the system will be capable of monitoring music usage across the country in real time.
This means that whether a song is released in a remote area like Arua or played in major urban centers, it will be tracked seamlessly, allowing artists to earn royalties effortlessly, even while they are not actively working.
Hon. Mutuuzo emphasized that the goal is to create a reliable and continuous income stream for artists.
In her words, musicians will be able to “earn even while asleep,” thanks to the automated nature of the system.
We are setting up a digital system channel where artists can place their music, even when an artist releases their song from Arua, our system will be able to track it. And your money will be coming through even when the musician is asleep.
She further disclosed that the platform will be officially launched by H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni.
Once operational, businesses and institutions that use music, such as media houses, entertainment venues, and other public spaces, will be required to pay an annual fee.
This model will function similarly to how utility bills like electricity and water are handled, ensuring that creatives receive fair compensation for the use of their work.
That system we established will be launched by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni so that creatives can upload their work, and those with the system will be paying a sum of money annually, like how it is done when paying electricity and water bills, so that the creatives can also benefit from their intellectual works.
The initiative marks a significant step toward strengthening copyright enforcement in Uganda, offering hope for a more structured and rewarding ecosystem for artists and other creatives.
