Copyright law: Uganda begins installation of music tracking devices to boost artist royalties

• Uganda has started installing a new music tracking device called Nyange in commercial spaces.

• The device will monitor songs played and send data for royalty collection.

• The rollout aligns with the new copyright law requiring businesses to pay for music use.

Uganda has started installing a new music tracking device aimed at improving how artists earn from their work as part of the country’s recently strengthened copyright law.

Uganda National Musicians Federation (UNMF) president Eddy Kenzo revealed the development and confirmed that installation of the device across the country has started 

The Ugandan-made device under the brand “Nyange” will be installed in bars, hotels, and other commercial spaces that play music.

Kenzo said the device is designed to automatically monitor music played in public spaces and relay that information to a central system.

“This device will listen to music and communicate with our system which will in turn [show] who played whose music and where and how many times.”

He added that installation has already begun across the country.

The system is expected to close a long-standing gap where artists struggled to track how often their songs were played in public, making it difficult to collect accurate royalties.

The rollout comes at a time when Uganda has passed the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which strengthens how artists earn fairly from their work.

Under the new law, businesses such as bars, hotels, radio stations and restaurants are required to pay for music played in public spaces. 

The law also strengthens the collection and distribution of royalties through licensed bodies known as Collective Management Organisations (CMOs), which collect payments on behalf of artists. 

In addition, it introduces stricter penalties for copyright infringement, including fines and prison sentences for unauthorised use of creative works. 

For years, Ugandan artists have complained about weak enforcement of copyright laws, which has limited their ability to earn from their music, especially in public spaces and digital platforms.

The new legal framework is designed to modernise the system, improve enforcement and ensure fair compensation for creators in an increasingly digital economy.