South Africa has three main music collecting societies, and each one collects a different royalty. Joining the right ones is how songwriters and artists get paid for radio, TV, venues and more, on top of streaming income from their distributor.
Quick answer
- SAMRO: performing rights for composers, authors and publishers.
- CAPASSO: mechanical and digital rights for composers and publishers.
- SAMPRA: needletime rights for recording artists and record labels.
- Your distributor collects streaming income; these societies collect the rest.
The three societies at a glance
| Society | Collects | Who joins |
|---|---|---|
| SAMRO | Performing rights: radio, TV, venues, retailers and digital services | Composers, authors (lyricists) and publishers |
| CAPASSO | Mechanical and digital rights for musical works | Composers and publishers |
| SAMPRA | Needletime rights for sound recordings broadcast or played in public | Recording artists and record labels |
SAMRO: performing rights
SAMRO (Southern African Music Rights Organisation) administers performing rights for music composers, authors and publishers. It licenses clubs, broadcasters, retailers, digital services and other music users. Members move through prospective, associate and full tiers depending on what their works earn.
CAPASSO: mechanical and digital rights
CAPASSO (Composers, Authors and Publishers Association) is a digital rights licensing agency that collects mechanical licence fees and pays them to composers and music publishers. Composers and publishers register separately through its online portal.
SAMPRA: needletime for recordings
SAMPRA (South African Music Performance Rights Association) administers needletime rights for recording artists and record labels. You apply as a recording artist or as a record company, then notify SAMPRA of your tracks so plays can be matched to you.
How to get every royalty you are owed
- Release through a distributor and keep your ISRC for every track.
- Register your songs (compositions) with SAMRO and CAPASSO, with writer splits.
- Register your recordings with SAMPRA as an artist or label and notify your tracks.
- Use the same artist and writer names everywhere.
- Consider a publishing administrator to register your songs in other countries too.
Sources: official websites of SAMRO, CAPASSO and SAMPRA. Checked 31 October 2026.
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What is the difference between SAMRO, CAPASSO and SAMPRA?
SAMRO collects performing rights for composers, authors and publishers. CAPASSO licenses mechanical and digital rights for composers and publishers. SAMPRA administers needletime rights for recording artists and record labels.
Should I join all three?
If you write your songs and also own or perform on the recordings, you may be owed money from all three, because each collects a different right. Songwriters usually need SAMRO and CAPASSO; recording artists and labels need SAMPRA.
What are needletime rights?
Needletime is the royalty paid when a sound recording is broadcast or played in public. In South Africa SAMPRA collects it for recording artists and record companies.
Do I need to earn money before joining SAMRO?
Anyone can apply. SAMRO has membership tiers, and to become an associate member your works must have earned at least R100 as a composer or author (R1,000 as a publisher) in the preceding three years.
Does a distributor replace these societies?
No. Your distributor collects streaming and download income. SAMRO, CAPASSO and SAMPRA collect other royalties that a distributor does not.
