What Does SAMRO Actually Do?

If you're a South African artist, producer, or songwriter, chances are you've heard of SAMRO. But let’s be honest, do you really know what they do?

Let’s clear it up in under two minutes.

What Is SAMRO?

SAMRO stands for the Southern African Music Rights Organisation.

They’re South Africa’s official performing rights organization (PRO), and their main job is simple:

They collect performance royalties on your behalf.

That means if your music is played on:

• Radio

• TV

• Live shows or concerts

• Clubs and lounges

• Restaurants or retail stores

...SAMRO steps in to make sure you get paid.

What Kind of Royalties Does SAMRO Handle?

This part is important: SAMRO only deals with performance royalties.

That’s just one piece of the royalty puzzle.

Here’s how the rest breaks down:

• 💿 Mechanical royalties? That’s CAPASSO’s job.

• 🎤 Neighboring rights? That’s handled by SAMPRA.

So if your track is out there doing numbers but you’ve only registered with one of these orgs (or none at all), you're likely missing out on cash you’ve already earned.

Not Registered? You Could Be Leaving Money on the Table

If your song gets airplay or public usage and you’re not a registered SAMRO member, you’re not collecting performance royalties.

That means:

• No payouts.

• No tracking.

• No paper trail.

Even worse?

If you delay registering, you could miss out completely. Old usage data can expire if not properly tracked in their system.

How to Make Sure You’re Covered

To actually get paid, make sure:

1. You're registered with SAMRO as a composer, artist, or publisher.

2. Your songs are logged correctly in their system.

3. Your cue sheets and play logs are up to date.

4. You understand SAMRO’s payout schedule (it’s not instant).

Are You Really Getting All the Royalties You Deserve?

If your music is being played in public, you deserve to get paid.

SAMRO helps make that happen but only if you take the right steps.

This video is part of a full breakdown on royalty organizations like SAMRO, CAPASSO, and SAMPRA. So if you’re serious about collecting every cent your music earns, make sure you watch the next part of the series.