PETALING JAYA, Dec 20 — Music indsutry practitioners agree those in the industry should receive higher royalty payment from the government. 

Backing the call made by royalty collection agencies for the government to pay RM4 million annually as highlighted in Malay Mail's special report yesterday, artistes say payment should be based on actual royalty collection. 

Award-winning composer and lyricist Hairul Anuar Harun said: "With 34 radio stations and three TV stations, it’s high time the government in Radio Televisyen Malaysia realise a broadcaster without music is merely a name.

“Fair royalties should be exceeding RM4 million as Music Author's Copyright Protection (MACP) has over 3,000 members, and the amounts collected also include foreign rights holders," he said. 

To illustrate the state of affairs, Hairul said a Singaporean peer said a hit song in the republic, can net up to SGD$20,000 (RM60,692) a year. 

“However, a local renowned composer once told me in the same year, he made RM20,000 — and he was the top earner of the year! That’s a huge difference.”

Hairul also called for the monitoring system utilised by collective management organisations (CMOs) like MACP and Public Performance Malaysia (PPM) to be updated and information should be at the tip of one’s fingertips.

“Random monitoring should be done away in the name of fairness to the music industry," he said.

“How are practitioners going to earn a living if they are receiving paltry payment despite heavy airplay, especially given the current economic situation.” 

Celebrated music producer Roslan Aziz said individuals producing an album were the biggest losers as their efforts are often overlooked.

“Producers should be rewarded for any exploitation of their musical work and proceeds from performing and broadcasting rights should be limited to the owner of the sound recording and producers," he said. 

“I believe in fairness but the case of overlapping jurisdiction between CMOs is uncalled for. No one should be left out if anything is due,” he said.

Newcomer singer-songwriter Amir Jahari hoped the authorities would be more serious in considering music as something that could not be ‘barter-traded’.

“Royalties should be paid according to usage, as deemed by the law.

“A blanket payment by the government to all CMOs to be divided can be acceptable — but the amounts paid out is definitely not.”

The 23-year-old winner of Most Promising Composer at the recent MACP Awards said it was a sad state of affairs for the music industry when royalties were considered negotiable by the government.

“Imagine even a day without music. No songs, soundtracks, advertisement jingles, backing tracks, piped in music, karaoke, ringtones — and just about anything that plays copyrighted music. 

“If you can imagine that — that’s when you can actually call on the industry to justify why it needs to be paid what’s owed.”

Renowned lyricist Abdul Samad said: “Our collections have dipped tremendously in the last 20 years. The main task the government has is to determine an appropriate amount.

“Music authors have our arms twisted, and we can only hope for mercy so as not to get hurt further.”

He also said the overlapping jurisdiction between CMOs also deterred the progress of talks for increased royalty payouts as the overlapping jurisdiction between it and Recording Performers Malaysia Malaysia Bhd (RPM) and Performance & Artistes Rights Malaysia (Prism) was always used as an excuse by the authorities. 

"(The existence of) Prism is a past ministerial error in affording them recognition as a collection body," Samad said.

“Fingers always point back to the industry for not being able to settle the issue of overlapping collection jurisdiction when talks are held. And we will never get to pertinent issues at hand like the need for increased royalties, if this keeps cropping up.

This has become a regular excuse, with the authorities seemingly turning a blind eye to the fact that the past administration were responsible for making their position official, Samad lamented.

"And this (overlapping jurisdiction between CMOs) must first be resolved before any talks on increase of royalty payouts for use of musical works is considered," he said.