The B2C Entertainment Group has defended the collective licensing model for music royalties, warning that misconceptions around the system risk undermining Uganda's music industry at a critical stage of its growth.
The trio comprising Mr Lee (Richard Mugisha), Bobby Lash (Robert Mukasa) and Delivad Julio (Julius Kyazze) said criticism of the model is "far from the truth," insisting that collective licensing remains the most efficient and fair system for managing royalties across the country.
In a statement, the artists explained that collective licensing allows broadcasters such as radio stations to pay a single fee to a centralized body, rather than negotiating separate agreements with individual artists.
The fee is typically calculated as a percentage of a station's revenue ranging between 2 percent and 5 percent ensuring that payments are proportionate to the broadcaster's financial capacity.
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"A small radio station pays a smaller fee compared to a big one. The model scales with capacity," the group said.
B2C argued that much of the ongoing controversy stems from confusion between collective licensing and direct licensing.
While direct licensing enables individual artists to negotiate their own deals, the group said it is impractical for managing a national music ecosystem involving thousands of rights holders and users.
"Direct licensing can work for an individual artist, but it cannot work for the whole country and the music ecosystem," the statement said.
The artists warned that relying on direct licensing alone would create inefficiencies, making it difficult for broadcasters to obtain permissions and for artists to consistently track and collect their royalties.
They also emphasized that collective management organisations operate within international frameworks, with obligations to compensate foreign artists whose music is played locally, while also collecting royalties for Ugandan musicians whose work is used abroad.
This, they noted, dispels the notion that broadcasters can avoid royalty payments by switching to international music.
"Stations can play international music, but they will still have to pay for it," the group said.
B2C pointed to regional examples where collective licensing systems have been in place for over a decade, including South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya.
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They said these systems have streamlined royalty collection and ensured that both local and international artists are compensated fairly.
The group's intervention comes amid growing debate within Uganda's creative sector over how best to structure royalty payments.
While some stakeholders favour direct engagement between artists and music users, others are pushing for a stronger, unified collective management system.
Industry observers say the outcome of the debate could shape the future of Uganda's music business, particularly in areas of revenue collection, artist welfare and regulatory compliance.
B2C maintained that a unified collective licensing framework offers the most sustainable path forward, arguing that it reduces administrative burdens, promotes fairness and aligns Uganda with international best practices in music rights management.
