A website design by Globa Ghana for the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) was,last-tuesday, launched in Accra, with a call on all musicians who are right owners to submit copies of their works for the music industry's database.

The President of MUSIGA, Bice Osei Kuffour, who made the call in an address at the launch, also invited musicians to submit peace songs out of which twelve would be selected for a compilation for the promotion of a peaceful election in Ghana.

Mr Kuffour noted that the re-launching of the website would satisfy the requirements of the times and better serve the membership of MUSIGA and its stakeholders.

He said about two years ago MUSIGA, with support from the Norwegian Copyright Society (NORCODE) had initiated a project to build a digital library of Ghanaian musical works.

He said as the work on the project progressed, it became evident that the content within the library could be commercialised to provide additional revenue to the right owners who would want their works to be exploited on an internet platform.

Mr Kuffour said recognising the potential in the project as an option to create wealth for the owners of these rights, the World Bank, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and ECOBANK decided to lend support to the project which also involved the provision of a web portal for the promotion and sale of Ghanaian music worldwide.

He commended ECOBANK for providing the seed capital for the development of a website which represented the first phase of the project. In a statement, Mr Kofi Tsikata, Communications Director of the World Bank, Ghana Office stressed the need to support Ghanaian music and the music industry to help create jobs.

Mr Tsikata called on ECOBANK to support the building of a 10,000 capacity auditorium for MUSIGA. Some of the new features on the new website include direct membership registration on line platforms for membership profiles and host musical videos of members. Also available on the website is an interactive platform for industry members and friends as well as advertising space.

Meanwhile, the web portal for the promotion and sale of Ghanaian music worldwide is also scheduled to be launched in two months. This falls in line with the leadership vision of rebranding the Union, creating wealth for music right owners, increasing investor confidence in the sector and making the music industry more responsive to modern trends.