The Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) has set up a one-stop centre to licence local music repertoire for digital distribution in a bid to reduce the complexity of the process…for now the scheme is restricted to ringtones as a test, but if successful it will be extended to other digital music.
Previously, a content provider – a telecommunications company, for example – that wanted to sell “truetones” (a ringtone that contains an actual recording of a song) had to obtain a total of five licences.
It had to obtain separate licences from the Phonographic Producers of Malaysia (PPM), Music Authors Copyright Protection (MACP) and PRISM (Performers and Artistes Rights Malaysia).
This only applies to local music — it’s up to the copyright holders of foreign music if they want to continue. RIM is also very wary of digital music, which has yet to take off in the country. One reason cited in the article is that only 2% of the nation has broadband…another reason is that “a legal online music market is almost non-existent in this country”, with Soundbuzz offering 300,000 songs for S$1.99 (about US$1.18).
“We don’t want to just rush in and wave the flag for new media. We want to see where the money is, if a viable online music market is possible,” said RIM chairman Sandy Monteiro.
Related stories:
–RIM out to eradicate ‘truetone’ piracy disease
–Your Children And The Mobile Net
–Digital Music Boom In Asia
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