LOCAL musicians can finally celebrate a significant development: their music will now earn royalties from commercial use.
This was formalised through a government gazette issued on Monday, which outlines the new tariffs for those using Basotho musicians' works registered with the Lesotho Copyright Society of Authors (LESCOSA).
The tariffs apply to a wide range of commercial users, including taxi operators, radio stations, and businesses that play music for public enjoyment or advertisement.
LESCOSA will collect the tariffs annually and distribute them as royalties to the artists at the end of each year.
In a press briefing, Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, Motlatsi Maqelepo, explained that this decision to monetise Basotho music reflects the government's commitment to supporting the arts and recognising their economic contribution.
"The government has embraced the arts as a vital sector within our national strategic development plan, recognising its potential to drive economic growth," said Mr Maqelepo.
"We're proud to have taken this important step toward giving value to creative work."
According to the gazette, any business or individual using music for commercial gain, crowd entertainment, or advertising purposes is legally required to pay music tariffs based on their annual expenditure or profits. The Copyright Law 1999 obligates such users to contribute fairly.
For instance, the gazette orders multi-roomed establishments to pay M240 per annum for television and radios playing music, taxis to pay M400 for five-seater, M800 for 12-seater and M1400 for 18-seater. A restaurant with a capacity of 50 people will pay M2200 per annum.
Radios and television broadcasts will also be charged depending on the airplay of each song. There is no fixed figure for such. The tariffs will be calculated as a percentage of each station's content consumption, annual turnover, and expenditure on music.
On behalf of the artist community, Lebohang Ramakhula, commended the government for its commitment to supporting musicians.
He said this move represents long-overdue recognition and a financial incentive for their contributions.
He added that, historically, some Lesotho radio stations have treated music as advertising content, even charging artists to promote their own releases.
"It's essential to build music as an industry. For too long, music has been undervalued, and some radio stations have even expected artists to pay for airplay. Now, musicians will finally be compensated fairly," Mr Ramakhula said.
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Ramakhula said new music should not be seen simply as promotion; it brings fresh, healing sounds to listeners. He acknowledged the government's appreciation for music through this initiative, saying, "Some artists depend on these royalties for their livelihoods."
He urged the public to embrace the new tariffs as a positive development, adding that other countries have long-standing copyright policies that benefit artists. Education about copyright and fair compensation, he said, will help Basotho understand and support the tariffs.
Through this landmark decision, Lesotho's government has taken a crucial step toward transforming its music industry, setting a precedent for broader recognition and fair compensation of creative work.
