Ethiopia Prepares Platform to Track and Distribute Artist Royalties

Mintesinot Nigussie

Ethiopia’s creative sector is set for a structural shift as authorities move to operationalise a digital system for collecting and distributing royalties to rights holders across music, literature and other creative works. The Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority says the platform has already reached completion at the technical level, with automated tools developed to track usage of creative content and calculate payments more systematically.

The system is also supported by digitised professional records intended to improve accuracy in identifying rights holders. At the centre of the reform are Collective Management Organizations (CMOs), which will handle royalty collection and distribution on behalf of creators. The authority has licensed two CMOs so far to operate within the framework.

Deputy Director General Endalew Mosisa told Capital Newspaper that the initiative is now in its final phase, with consultations ongoing between the authority and stakeholders such as media institutions and entertainment venues ahead of the official rollout.

Ethiopia’s copyright system has been legally in place since the Copyright and Neighboring Rights Protection Proclamation No. 410/2004, but enforcement has remained limited in practice, with creators frequently reporting challenges in securing payments for the use of their work. The planned digital system is intended to address those gaps by formalising how royalties are tracked and distributed through a more structured administrative process.

Alongside the royalty reform, the government is also preparing a wider policy framework for the cinema and broader creative industries. The proposed policy is expected to strengthen intellectual property protection, improve mechanisms for resolving copyright disputes and adapt the sector to technological developments.

Businesses in music, entertainment, publishing and digital content platforms are expected to be directly affected by the new royalty tracking system as it formalises payments and strengthens rights holder protections.

Overall, Ethiopia’s preparation of a digital platform to track and distribute artist royalties marks a significant step toward modernising the country’s creative economy and ensuring fair compensation for rights holders.