Professional Assessment of Music Copyright Management and Royalty Distribution in the Nigerian Music Industry

Effective copyright management and equitable royalty distribution are foundational to the sustainability of Nigeria's rapidly growing music industry, and professional assessment of the current performance of the Copyright Society of Nigeria and other rights management organisations reveals critical infrastructure gaps. This study professionally assessed music copyright management and royalty distribution systems in the Nigerian music industry, drawing on data from Lagos and Abuja. A professional assessment methodology was employed, combining documentary analysis of COSON's published annual reports, structured interviews with 15 recording artists, 8 music publishers, 6 COSON staff, and 4 music entertainment lawyers, and a survey of 80 independent musicians assessing their experience of royalty collection and distribution. The assessment revealed significant structural deficiencies: digital music royalty collection from international streaming platforms was confirmed as established only in 2022, with distribution backlogs affecting 67.5 percent of survey respondents. Only 23.8 percent of surveyed independent musicians had received any royalty payment from COSON in the preceding three years. Lack of transparency in royalty calculation was identified as a major concern by 71.4 percent of artist respondents. Neighbouring rights collection was minimal compared to performing rights income. The study concludes that Nigeria's music royalty infrastructure is significantly underdeveloped relative to the scale of the industry and recommends legislative review of the Copyright Act 2022 implementation regulations, COSON capacity building investment, and digital distribution infrastructure enhancement.

Keywords: music copyright, royalty distribution, COSON, Nigerian music industry, intellectual property