Shaggydog Highlights Uneven Music Screening License Socialization

Music license illustration (unsplash)

JAKARTA - Shaggydog spoke about licenses and royalties in cafes, restaurants and other commercial businesses. This group from Yogyakarta considers the government's efforts to require a music screening license as a positive step.

Shaggydog's management, Martinus Indra Hermawan, said that the application of music screening licenses has been prioritized in several countries. According to him, this ideal condition can be applied in Indonesia.

"If you want to be fair as implemented abroad, it is ideal that the business business business will take care of the license first for the screening of songs with commercial purposes," said Martinus quoting from ANTARA, Tuesday, August 5.

However, he realizes that there are still many people who do not understand the importance of licensing music screening because socialization from the government and the Collective Management Institute (LMK) has not been evenly distributed.

"For this performance right, there are still many ordinary people who are not literate, while on the other hand the socialization is also not evenly distributed," he said.

Martinus said a number of members of Shaggydog had previously registered their work with LMK WAMI (Indonesian Music Authority).

The process is called easy and free by simply preparing documents, filling out forms, and waiting for verification for about two weeks. Once approved, members will receive an official card.

He said the regulation could basically provide real benefits for musicians, especially in guaranteeing the right to commercially used works. However, because he had just signed up, he admitted that he had not received reports or royalty payments.

Even so, he hopes that the system can provide concrete benefits if it is run transparently and inclusively. He also considered that local musicians in Yogyakarta do not all have access and adequate information about copyright protection and royalty systems.

"We hope that the socialization to the general public about this will be even more equitable, simplifying and accelerating the process for registration, as well as distributing royalties to bands and songwriters so that they are easier to understand and more transparent," said Martinus.

Previously, the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) of the Ministry of Law emphasized that every business actor who plays music in commercial public spaces, including restaurants, cafes, shops, fitness centers and hotels, must pay royalties to creators and owners of related rights.

Director of Copyright and Industrial Design of the Ministry of Law Agung Damarsasongko said this applies even though business actors have subscribed to services such as Spotify, YouTube Premium, Apple Music or other streaming services.

He explained that streaming services are personal or personal, but when music is played to the public in the business room, it has entered the category of commercial use so that additional licenses are needed through a valid mechanism.

He said royalty payments were made through LMKN in accordance with the mandate of Law Number 28 of 2014 concerning Copyright and Government Regulation Number 56 of 2021 concerning Management of Song and/or Music Copyright Royalties.