What happens when a younger, trending musician heads into the studio to record a forgotten masterpiece by a legendary artist who doesn’t make music any more?
Magic happens.
Suddenly, a song that was gathering dust starts earning royalties all over again. The original songwriter, which in Namibia is usually also the singer, starts earning money, and we actively take care of our ageing artists instead of just paying them lip service.
You’ve likely read recent newspaper reports where some artists complain of receiving a mere N$100 from the Namibian Society of Composers and Authors of Music (Nascam), quickly calling the institution a scam.
The hard truth is that Nascam can only distribute royalties where the music is actually used, reported and licensed. It does not matter if Namibians call you a legend on social media; if your songs do not play on the airwaves any more, there are no royalties for you. Opuwo.
In Namibia, many stations prioritise newer music because they believe it better suits their target audience. When they tune away, the station loses the audience it sells to advertisers.
Because many local stations do not conduct scientific listenership surveys, they simply rely on in-house perception, sticking to safe, modern genre formats and hoping it works.
Those that have some type of monitoring do not release the results publicly. Some are just clueless, but that’s a conversation for another day.
Right now, we need a practical solution to feed our older creatives. Their beautiful, well-written songs still exist and simply need to be delivered to a newer audience.
Let’s be honest: Many new artists breaking into the industry today have the swagger, the look and the social media reach, but they do not always have the time or seasoned skill to compose a hit song from scratch.
This is where a progressive approach to copyright comes into play. Instead of viewing copyright strictly as a lock to keep people away from art, we must start using it as a collaborative bridge. When a young artist covers a classic, everybody wins.
The newcomer bypasses the gruelling songwriting process and scores a certified hit with a proven melody, while the older musician sits at home and gets a fresh revenue stream.
How does the money actually work? Under copyright law, there are two main sides to a recorded song: the musical composition (the lyrics and melody) and the sound recording (the master audio file).
When a young artist records a fresh amapiano or Afro-beats cover of an 80s or 90s classic, the new artist (or their label) owns the new sound recording.
They collect the master royalties from streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
However, the original ageing artist retains the copyright to the composition.
When that new version rotates on air, Nascam logs the spins, and the performance royalties go straight to the original songwriter. Where possible, reproductions and digital uses may also generate mechanical royalties for the copyright owner of the composition.
Depending on the mutual agreement signed between the two parties, the older artist might even secure a percentage of the master streaming revenue or direct sales. It is not charity; it is business.
Young artists wanting to tap into this gold mine, where do you start? First identify an archive song that fits your vocal style and modern production vibe. Then locate the original songwriter or their estate.
Sit down with them, pay your respects, and get the copyright owner’s licence or permission.
Discuss how the credits would be handled and draft a simple clearance agreement right there to dictate how royalties would be shared.
Remember, a straight cover requires a mechanical licence, while a remix that alters the lyrics or fundamental melody requires permission to create a ‘derivative work’.
Once the song is recorded, register the work with Nascam and ensure your distributor correctly credits the original songwriter in the metadata.
Be honest and license it properly so the system works. Do not steal the credit!
We can all imagine a fresh delivery of the work of Samuel Vleermuis, The Ugly Creatures, Peter Joseph Augab or Tate Kwela delivered by Tequila, Tate Buti, Stakes Boy or Gazza.
We have an untapped collection of incredible music lying dormant, and a whole generation of legends who deserve to reap the fruits of their labour in their twilight years.
Isn’t it time we stopped complaining about N$100 royalty cheques and started actively engineering solutions?
Let’s breathe new life into the old gold mine.
