By Sadeke Brooks
As Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers (JACAP) continues to pay out more royalties to overseas entities, there is a call from the organisation’s chairman, Paul Barclay, for the Government to put in place some sort of legislation so that more local music can be played.
According to the Economic and Social Survey 2013, of the total $13.6 million royalty disbursement by JACAP, $11 million was paid out to overseas creators, just $2.6 million returning home. There was also a $1-million increase in the amount of royalties disbursed when compared to 2012. Of that increase, $700,000 went overseas.
According to Barclay, “it remains a concern that we are supporting so much of the overseas songwriters at the expense of the localsongwriters.”
Local quota system
He continued, “in order to balance the outflow so that more can come back to our local creators, we have to lobby government for a quota so that more local music can be played.”
Barclay stressed that like in places such as France and Australia, legislation is needed in order to get media houses and radio stations to play more local music.
“JACAP alone will not be able to get them to do that,” he told The Gleaner.
With CD sales down, he said more songwriters are getting involved in the process, as they are “more vigilant about other areas of income,” Barclay said.
He added that JACAP’s membership has increased significantly in the past few years.
“It has increased tremendously, borderline 4,000 members. Five years ago we were nowhere near a thousand members,” Barclay said.
JACAP Public relations campaign
This increase, he said, is largely due to the work being done by JACAP. In recent times, he said the organisation has been on an extensive public relations campaign that included an open house forum, digital signage boards, advertising on the back of buses, members fora and other forms of advertisement in the Corporate Area.
He said JACAP also periodically visits various regions in Jamaica to speak with the police and update them about copyright laws.
“We are increasing our efforts and we will continue this process,” Barclay told The Gleaner.
He added that the other areas that will be targeted are cable providers and or stations, bars and shops.
