For years, Uganda’s music industry has lived with a quiet contradiction: songs travel far, but the money rarely finds its way back to the artists who create them.
From taxis weaving through city traffic to packed nightclubs and radio stations across the country, Ugandan music is everywhere. Yet for many musicians, that widespread popularity has not translated into consistent income.
Now, that long-standing imbalance could finally be addressed.
According to Hon Peace Mutuuzo, Minister of State for Gender and Culture, the government is developing a centralized digital system designed to ensure artists are paid for every use of their music, whether it’s on air, in public spaces, or at events.
The proposed platform will allow musicians to upload their songs into a national database, where technology will track how and where each track is played in real time. Whether a hit is blasting through speakers in Kampala or playing in a bar in Arua, its usage will be recorded.
It’s a shift that could redefine how artists earn.
“Artists will earn even while asleep,” Mutuuzo explained during an interview, describing a system that removes the burden of chasing payments and replaces it with automated tracking and compensation.
At the center of the model is a simple idea: if music is being used commercially, it should generate revenue for its creators.
Under the plan, businesses such as media houses, bars, and event venues will be required to pay an annual licensing fee, similar to utilities like electricity or water. The collected revenue will then be distributed to artists based on actual usage data, how often and where their music is played.
If successfully implemented, the system could bring structure to an industry that has long operated informally, where music is widely consumed but rarely accounted for.
The initiative is also expected to receive strong political backing, with Yoweri Kaguta Museveni set to officially launch the platform.
For many artists, the promise goes beyond income. It represents recognition, validation that their work has measurable value.
And for an industry that has spent years asking the same question, “Who is paying for the music?”, this could finally be the beginning of an answer.
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