26/05/2023
TRE Artists please take note of this
ANNOUNCEMENT: SAMRO will, for the first time, introduce a once-off application fee for musicians who wish to join the organisation from 01 June 2023, which will be used to cover the administration costs of processing new membership applications. This application fee does not apply to current SAMRO Members.
The non-refundable application fee for first-time applicants will be R100 for composers and authors and R500 for publishers.
Over the past few years, SAMRO has experienced a significant increase in the number of new member applications. In 2018 alone, SAMRO received 10 000 new applications. Since then, the organisation has continued to grow, with an average of 20 000 registrations annually. While the growth in the membership base is exciting, it also places additional pressure on the organisation and existing members, who have to carry the costs of this influx of new members.
Currently, SAMRO represents about 170 217 Members who are music composers, authors, and publishers. Of these, only 24 183 (14%) are earning Members, who are Associate and Full Members, meaning that 14% of our Members are inadvertently covering the administration costs of processing new Member applications.
The introduction of the application fee is not meant to discourage musicians from joining SAMRO but rather to ensure that our existing members receive the most benefit and efficient service from our organisation.
Please note that the once-off application fee will take effect on 01 June 2023 for new Members.
