Are there avenues for them to make money from their music?

For musicians in Papua New Guinea (PNG), earning from music doesn’t just come from live performances or selling CDs; royalties are a key way to be paid when your songs are played or used publicly. Copyright gives creators exclusive rights to their music, meaning artists can earn money when others use their work under agreed terms. These rights cover reproduction, public performance and broadcast of musical compositions and recordings. 

To collect royalties, an artist generally needs to register works with a recognised collecting system. In PNG, there is no fully established domestic collective management organisation (CMO), so many artists sign up with overseas bodies like the Australasian Performing Rights Association (APRA). APRA collects licence fees from broadcasters and pays royalties to registered artists when their music is aired. Records show that PNG musicians registered with APRA have received payments when their songs are played on APRA-licensed stations such as PNGFM Limited.  

However, challenges remain. Many PNG broadcasters are not licensed with APRA, so when they air local music, no royalty fees are collected or distributed back to artists. Local musicians and advocates have also called for stronger enforcement of PNG’s copyright laws and a dedicated domestic system to manage and pay out performance and reproduction royalties. Live concerts remain a key income stream, especially where radio and digital royalty collection is limited. 

Strengthening local royalty systems and increasing broadcaster compliance would help more PNG artists collect what they’re owed; however, for now, registering with established rights organisations and diversifying income remains critical. 

If PNG artists are creating music that is widely played across the country, why is there still no strong national system ensuring they are paid fairly for it?