As local artists increasingly turn to technology to create and publish their music, digital rights management (DRM) will become increasingly important, says the Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro).
“It's an increasing trend, especially with artists who don't want to get involved with publishers. We really have entered a digital era. If you look at the music industry holistically, you can see that it's the way we're headed - especially with the download of music and ringtones,” says Yavi Madurai, marketing general manager at Samro.
According to the Shuttleworth Foundation, “DRM is a term used for technologies that define and enforce parameters of access to digital media or software”. Therefore, the copyright-holder can use technological protection measures to prevent access to digital media or software in a manner that would infringe the rights of the copyright holder.
DRM currently isn't a key issue for local artists as they still prefer mobile music marketing to online, says Madurai. “We are a lot more Internet-averse than international artists. We have more issues around online risks. There are also bandwidth issues and really the most exposed is the cellphone - because we are a mobile country.”
But, she adds, there are some controversial areas which would likely affect SA in the future. Madurai says anti-circumvention provisions, which restrict the consumer's use of digital media, even while acting within legal boundaries, will become a key problem in the future.
These issues are only likely to impact artists as online usage grows, she says. For now, they need to focus on educating themselves on existing laws. “South African musicians and composers know who the key players in the industry are - but they need to become aware of the legal requirements of digital rights management.”
Some of the things local artists should look out for include whether the company providing services is licensed, says Madurai. “Artists need to be aware of who is exploiting their music and the companies which are selling downloads and ringtones.”
With the legal requirements out of the way, artists can benefit greatly, says Madurai. “It really is the way the world is going as we are all becoming part of a global village. Instant music indicates that we are embracing the digital age.”
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