After only two years in operation JAMMS (Jamaica Music Society) has begun distributing airplay royalties to its members. JAMMS is the performance rights organisation which administers broadcasting and public performance rights on behalf of local and international record companies and labels.

“We have achieved what we set out to achieve, and what all performance rights organisations are established to do, and that is to collect and distribute royalties, and continue to further solidify operations,” says Evon Mullings, general manager of JAMMS.

The royalty distribution will see 134 members receiving royalty payments. Member labels include Arrows Recording, GeeJam Studios, Di Genius Records/Big Ship, Digital B, Cut Stone Records, Steely and Clevie Productions, Twelve 9 Records, Jammy’s, Black Light Records, Taxi Production, Call Me Shams, Fams House, Krush Proof Music, Main Street Records, Heights a Life Records, Katsjam Records, among many other local labels.

JAMMS also manages the performance rights of the four major international recording companies — Sony Music, Universal Music, EMI and Warner Music, whose combine repertoire spans millions of recordings.

The role of performance rights organisations, also known as collective management organisation, is to defend the rights of its members as well as collect and distribute airplay and public performance royalties. The royalties being distributed by JAMMS to its record label members have been paid by radio stations and other music users who have been licensed by JAMMS to play its approved repertoire of sound recordings.

JAMMS also has reciprocal arrangements in place with similar overseas rights management organisations, including societies in Germany, Holland and France. It expects to start receiving overseas royalties in 2010.

According to chairman of JAMMS Danny Brownie, “Our aim is to ultimately have on board all the major local labels, both new and well established, which will strengthen our position as a rights agency when dealing with music users, but more importantly, provides a source of income to these label owners, which they were not getting before.”

He went on say that “the nature of the operations and governance of JAMMS ensures that there is equity and accountability in all aspects of our administrations, and so all local record labels are encouraged to become members of JAMMS , as we are all about inclusivity and delivering results”.

Airplay royalties is one of the main components of performance royalties, and over the past two years JAMMS has negotiated with and licensed most of the prominent radio stations. The society also uses the information provided by these stations to calculate the amount earned by each record label. More negotiations with a number of broadcasters and other users are ongoing.

JAMMS highlights that this first distribution has been an important step in the development of the society. Normally, on average, performance rights organizations commence royalty distribution after three to four years after setting up operation. The main recent for JAMMS success is the support it has been receiving from its member companies, government authorities and also its users.