Concerned stakeholders, including Kelvin Sulugwe, Kelvin Ngumuya, and others, are demanding an urgent meeting with the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) to address concerns surrounding the recent Blank Media Levy royalty distribution after a scheduled engagement reportedly failed to take place due to the unavailability of the organization’s Chief Executive Officer.
The stakeholders, who were accompanied by their legal representatives and members of the media, say this is the second time the meeting has been postponed.
Their legal team has since written to COSOMA requesting an explanation for the postponements and a clear way forward. The letter also raises concerns over the transparency of the royalty distribution process, the integrity of the data used, ownership records, and the introduction of a new administration fee.
Recently, COSOMA announced a record disbursement of more than K1.8 billion in Blank Media Levy royalties to rights holders for the 2025/2026 distribution cycle.
The payout marks a significant increase from the K1 billion distributed last year, representing an additional K800 million.
Among the top music beneficiaries named by COSOMA were Phyzix, Onesimus, Zeze Kingston, Driemo, Kelly Kay, and Saint. The society attributed the increase in royalties to the growing use of electronic devices that attract the Blank Media Levy.
COSOMA also stated that payments were made directly to beneficiaries’ bank accounts and mobile money wallets after artists updated their Know Your Customer (KYC) information.
Despite the record payout, some creatives have continued to question the distribution process. In previous years, COSOMA has faced criticism over payment delays, the fairness of allocations, and a lack of transparency regarding how individual royalty amounts are calculated.
For the current distribution cycle, the society said it would disclose only category totals rather than individual payments, citing confidentiality.
The concerned stakeholders maintain that an urgent engagement with COSOMA is necessary to address unresolved issues relating to data integrity, ownership records, and the newly introduced administration fee.
They argue that greater transparency is essential to restoring confidence in Malawi’s royalty distribution system.
As of now, COSOMA has not announced a new date for the postponed meeting.
