Chairman of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO), Rex Omar, has revealed that his outfit has signed a deal with a digital royalty collection body.

According to him, the company, Capasso, collects the digital royalties for artistes and right owners as part of GHAMRO’s efforts to go digital and see creators earn their due from their works.

Speaking to JoyNews’ Mapitso Sebidi, Mr Omar explained that this deal ensures the digital rights licensing company provides monitoring systems to help track songs of Ghanaian right owners on digital platforms.

He stated that his outfit has already received monies for some artistes, adding that some of these creators are however yet to register with GHAMRO.

“We have some good money sitting down in dollars. Now the money comes with the name attached so you can't give somebody’s money to somebody. As I am talking, Sarkodie as an artiste, has not assigned his right to GHAMRO even though we are holding his money for him."

"So here is the situation. We are holding your monies and you haven’t assigned your right to GHAMRO. How does GHAMRO deal with this situation,” he quizzed.

Mr Omar revealed that the organisation already has a website to ensure the plan to go digital works.

On the site, he stated that, right owners can provide details of their songs, new or old, split sheets - a written agreement between two or more music creators that identifies each contributor and establishes specific ownership percentages amongst them - and every needed information to help with the collection of the royalties.

“We are using this opportunity to let up and coming or new artistes to understand that GHAMRO is your own organisation, so be part of it, make it easier for GHAMRO to work for you.”

This comes after Dancehall artiste Stonebwoy revealed that since he began his music career in Ghana, the amount he has received as royalties from GHAMRO is GH¢2,000.

Speaking to Ghana’s High Commissioner to the UK, Papa Owusu-Ankomah, Stonebwoy said that musicians are forced to find other sources of income with their crafts.

Reacting to his comment, CEO of GHAMRO Abraham Adjetey said the 'Putuu' hitmaker has not updated his records at the royalties collection agency.

“We sent Stonebwoy a thousand, and another thousand, that is why he spoke about GH¢2,000. Now he is to follow up and update his records. If you have money for Stonebwoy today, if I do not have his bank account details, where do I send the money to? If there is money for Stonebwoy, the money will be here in GHAMRO’s accounts”.