Ghana’s royalty system is challenging but the solution to get the money back is easy — Sarkodie

Sensational rapper Sarkodie has said Ghana’s royalty system is really challenging but the antidote to ensure artistes receive their rightful earnings is easy.

The artist shared his insights during a panel discussion at the 3i Africa Summit Partners and Stakeholders Mixer held in Accra.

The summit, which brought together influential figures from the creative industry, policy, and fintech sectors, aimed to explore the convergence of these fields for the benefit of Ghana's economic landscape.

Sarkodie, alongside other notable personalities such as KOD, Chief Moomen, and filmmaker Juliet Asante, delved into critical issues affecting the creative industry during the discussion.

Addressing the issue, Sarkodie acknowledged its challenges but expressed optimism about finding a solution, stating, "The royalty system has been a big issue here in Ghana, but it's something so little to do; it's not that hard.

“It's just putting the system in place and just getting the money back."

The panel discussion gave an opportunity for key voices in the creative sector to discuss and provide solutions to current difficulties.

Speaking to Amelley Djosu on Joy Prime’s Celeb Biz a couple of months ago, the CEO of Black Avenue, D Black described the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) and the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) as terrible.

“If I’m to speak bluntly, I will say that the structures that are in place for our music industry are terrible. GAMRO is a terrible organisation. There’s no accountability. I don’t know how much I’ve made from GAMRO in my 13 years in the music industry.

“They’ve attempted to [pay me royalty], but there’s no accountability. You can’t tell me this is what we’re giving everybody. It doesn’t make any sense. When we receive our royalties outside of the country, we get a report. In New Zealand, the song played 77 times between the months of May and August on Spotify. All these data are there,” he said.