Kenny K-Shot had heard established artistes talk about music publishing but had little understanding of how royalties generated by their work were collected or how he could benefit from the system.
"And me being an African artist, I don’t know where to start,” said the Rwandan singer and songwriter, whose real name is Kenny Rulisa.
Speaking at Dajah Music Group’s third anniversary in Kigali on November 11, he raised a question that resonated with many in the room: how does a song generate money, and how does that money reach its creator?
"I think the biggest challenge many artists face is the knowledge, actually, knowing that it’s possible,” he said.
His remarks highlighted the gap between creating music and getting paid for it, a challenge that brought musicians, rights administrators, lawyers and intellectual property professionals together at the event.
For Rwandan artistes, that gap remains significant. Since the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) approved a royalty tariff for the commercial use of artistic content in 2017, the Rwanda Society of Authors (RSAU) has distributed less than Rwf90 million to artistes.
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The closure of the royalty collection and distribution body has deepened uncertainty in the sector. Artistes seeking income from their recordings are increasingly turning to digital platforms and partnerships with international music companies.
Over the past three years, Dajah Music Group has sought to professionalise the regional music industry through artist workshops, structured onboarding and transparent royalty administration. Its digital platform, DajahTunes, aims to bridge the gap between artistic talent, commercial opportunities and sustainable income.
Jean-Luc Habimana, the company&039;s creative director, said its first three years had been promising. Music from its 23 artistes, including producers, generated 429 million streams during its third year, while Dajah collected more than $17,000 (approx. Rwf 250 million) in royalties.
Habimana said the company can also pursue unpaid royalties retrospectively, going back as far as five years.
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Hervé Muvunyi, Dajah's chief rights officer, said the company charges a 20 per cent commission on royalties collected, after tax.
"You keep 100 per cent of your rights,” he said.
"We only earn if an artist earns,” he added.
A key challenge in royalty collection is understanding the different rights attached to music. A sound recording captures a particular performance, while a composition comprises a song's lyrics and melody. The two can have different owners, and collecting royalties for one does not automatically cover the other.
When a song is streamed abroad, its earnings may pass through a platform, an administrator and a collecting society before reaching the songwriter.
Habimana said DajahTunes works with Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube Music, providing reports that allow artistes to track their earnings and withdraw payments.
"So, we actually don’t replace streaming services, we actually work with them,” he said.
The company plans to onboard at least 300 additional artistes over the next five years.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Youth and Arts is working with RDB and other institutions to establish a Collective Management Organisation (CMO), according to Permanent Secretary Parfait Ishungure. The body would collect royalties from the commercial use of music and distribute them to rights holders.
"Go and register your works, we will bring you the next step regarding the operationalization of the CMO, and your ministry is open,” Ishungure said.
Yvette Tumukunde, an intellectual property analyst at RDB, urged artistes and their collaborators to document their respective rights. Copyrights protection begins when a work is created, she explained, while registration provides evidence of ownership.
"A song made in a friendly studio session can become a dispute once it earns money, and while ownership is contested, nobody can be paid with confidence,” she said.
For Rulisa, the discussion came down to the business decisions that follow a recording session. He urged musicians to take greater responsibility for managing their careers and finances rather than leaving everything to their managers.