The Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) has distributed a total of K234,579,389.10 in royalties to 1,908 creatives, covering three separate royalty streams. The distribution, which commenced on 17 March 2026, covers broadcasting, public performance, and reprography rights across different qualifying periods.
Distribution Breakdown
A total of K63,537,119.10 was paid out to 825 creatives for broadcast royalties on private radio stations, covering the extended period from January 2021 to December 2024. A further K63,980,036 went to 461 creatives in the public performance category for the period April 2024 to March 2025. The largest single stream was reprography, with K107,062,234 distributed to 622 creatives for the same April 2024 to March 2025 period.
Three Types of Royalties Explained
Broadcasting royalties are paid to rights holders whose works are aired on radio and television stations. Licensed broadcasters pay fees to COSOMA, which then distributes the proceeds to the creators whose works were played.
Public performance royalties cover situations where copyright-protected music or other works are performed or played in public spaces — such as hotels, restaurants, shops, events, and public transport. Businesses that play music in their premises are required to hold a COSOMA public performance licence.
Reprography royalties compensate authors and publishers for the photocopying of their works — particularly in educational institutions, libraries, and offices where printed material is reproduced in large volumes.
Creative Industries Speak Out
The distribution coincided with an advocacy workshop held at Sunbird Capital Hotel in Lilongwe, organised by COSOMA under the theme Empowering Cultural Practitioners in Malawi for Enhanced Freedom of Expression. Participants, including filmmakers, musicians, and visual artists, raised concerns about limited funding and weak intellectual property protection as ongoing barriers to sector growth.
COSOMA Communications Officer Catherine Mitungwi Chiumia reaffirmed the Society’s commitment to ensuring all cultural practitioners have the freedom to express themselves through their works, and indicated that the programme will expand in scope going forward.
