The profit potential of the Vietnam Music Copyright Center from music shows is estimated at VND900 billion a year, but last year it brought in only VND9 billion.
However, musician Pho Duc Phuong was still very happy, saying that 2007 was the center’s best year of this, as its revenue was equivalent to total revenue of the last four years.
After five years of operation, the center collected VND17 billion in royalties and nearly VND14 billion was allocated to hundreds of musicians. The sum is modest but musicians are still happy because “half a loaf is better than no bread at all.”
Last year, around 20 musicians received royalties from the center. Tran Tien took the most, VND33.5 million, followed by Hoai An, VND33.4 million and Hoang Van at the bottom with VND15.2 million. These musicians had their music used at concerts that the Music Copyright Centre could reach. This center has joined the International Confederation of Authors and Composers Societies (CISAC) as well.
Actually, the center relies on its relations with radio and TV broadVTV), radio’s the Voice of Vietnam and local TV stations are the main music royalty payers.
“VTV annually pays us VND500 million. If they were to pay actually in full, the figure would be up five fold. But in this situation, it is good to have VND500 million. If we force them to pay the full amount, we may receive zero,” said musician Pho Duc Phuong.
Sympathy must be paid to this center because while a similar agency in Germany has up to 1,000 staff, the Vietnam Music Copyright Centre has just 18 employees.
Phuong said that the center cannot collect royalties from shows held at restaurants or from airlines and is trying to cover broadcasting stations.
KT&DT
