The Southern African Music Rights Organisation (Samro) is inviting music creators, publishers, and members to participate in a dedicated two-week member engagement session, The State of Your Music: Service Weeks.

Creators often face difficulties in receiving proper credit and compensation due to administrative oversights. These issues include failing to notify Samro of new works, non registration or incomplete member registration (non-society), outdated banking details, misunderstanding contractual obligations and providing inaccurate or incomplete split sheets detailing song ownership.

Taking place from 25 May to 5 June 2026 at Samro’s offices at 20 De Korte Street, Braamfontein, the initiative is designed to empower music creators through education, direct support, and one-on-one consultations to resolve royalty administration issues.

Recognising these administrative hurdles, Samro is hosting Service Weeks to help members directly address these challenges. The initiative seeks to streamline service access by allowing walk-ins, waiving the typical requirement for booked appointments to maximise convenience and participation.

Members can receive practical guidance to ensure their information is accurate, their works are correctly notified, and their music is positioned to continue generating income effectively. The goal is to provide personalised assistance to help creators fully understand music rights administration, royalty earnings, catalogue management, and compliance matters.

"We understand that the complexity of music rights can often lead to administrative hurdles that prevent our members from receiving the full royalties they are owed," said Nobambo Goduka, GM of Member Services at Samro. "By offering direct, walk-in access during The State of Your Music: Service Weeks, we are making it easier than ever for music creators to sit down with our representatives, sort out their affairs, and ensure they are maximising their royalty earning potential.

"We urge all members, both established and emerging, to take advantage of this opportunity to engage directly with Samro by reviewing and updating their information, and by asking important questions that will help them better understand our processes and the management of their rights and royalties."

The open Service Weeks will provide on-site support, educational sessions, and query resolution, with specific focus on critical topics including: 

• Music Copyright: Understanding and protecting creative work. 
• Royalty Earnings: How royalties are generated, understanding statements, and identifying unclaimed royalties. 
• Catalogue Management: Correct registration of musical works, understanding publisher agreements, and the importance of accurate splits. 
• Live Performances: How live performances generate royalties and the importance of submitting setlists. 
• CIPC Compliance: Why CIPC status matters for Samro publishers and how compliance affects royalty earnings. 
• Songwriter Agreements: Essential clauses for composers and authors, and the role of music publishers. 
• Samro Benefits: Gaining a better understanding of the benefits available to members, including the Samro Retirement Annuity Fund (SRAF) and funeral benefit support. 
• Samro CSI: Understanding Samro’s corporate social investment (CSI) initiatives and how these programmes contribute to member’s music development and education. 

Whether a member is established or an emerging creator, or considering Samro membership, these sessions are designed to provide valuable insight into the music rights ecosystem. Source : Bizcommunity