Ugandan singer Weasel Manizo has raised concerns over the royalties collected by the Uganda Performing Right Society (UPRS), saying the earnings reported by the collective management organization do not reflect the value of his music catalog.
Weasel, one half of the legendary Goodlyfe duo, revealed that he earns at least UGX 10 million every month from the group’s YouTube catalog alone, prompting him to question why UPRS reportedly collected only UGX 250,000 in royalties for him over an 18-month period.
In a social media post, the singer wrote, “If I can make less than 10M on just YT monthly and the whole association makes 250k in 18 months, I would rather let my music be used for free without any CMO.”
His remarks come amid growing debate within Uganda’s music industry over the transparency and effectiveness of collective royalty collection and distribution.
Several artists have previously questioned whether the royalties distributed by UPRS accurately reflect revenue generated from the public use of their music.
Weasel’s comments are likely to reignite discussions on copyright management, artist compensation and the accountability of collective management organizations responsible for collecting and distributing royalties on behalf of musicians.
The statement has since sparked mixed reactions among music industry stakeholders, with some artists backing Weasel’s concerns while others have called for greater transparency and reforms in Uganda’s royalty collection system.
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