HARARE - Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) director Polisile Ncube says her organisation is generating less revenue due to widespread closure of businesses that pay for using music.
The music rights body generates royalties for member musicians by licensing radio stations and other entertainment facilities that utilise music.
But with 78 licensed clients closing shop over the last 12 months, Zimura has been forced to be more innovative as it battles to generate income for musicians hamstrung by rampant music piracy.
“This number is for Harare and Bulawayo alone,” Ncube told the Daily News.
“We have no statistics of the other places. The Ximex Mall Complex had many of our clients including the bar and grill. Some of our clients who closed down include clothing boutiques, clubs and other entertainment and business facilities.”
Faced with diminishing returns from its traditional sources of revenue, Zimura has begun licensing commuter omnibuses because they play music for their passengers.
“We licensed over 271 commuter omnibuses over the past seven days at the various termini in Harare. At the moment we have stopped because of the rains but we are doing very well,” she said.
Ncube hopes the government will fulfil its recent promise to license 25 new radio stations without delay.
“Artistes should ideally live on royalties but it is totally impossible for this to happen under the current circumstances. We are just hoping that the coming in of new radio stations will help us raise more revenue and in turn improve the welfare of artistes,” she said.