A major change is brewing in Ghana’s music industry. Three major players, GHAMRO, GAPI and Apprise Music have joined forces to clean up how music rights are managed across the country.
The meeting, called “Sharing Music Identifiers,” took place in Accra and brought together top leaders from each group. Their goal is simple but powerful: make sure artists and rights holders are properly credited, tracked and paid by building a better system based on accurate data.
Bringing together key players in the industry
Michael Bamfo, CEO of Apprise Music, has spent years pushing for digital solutions in music distribution. His company helps artists like Eno Barony, Amakye Dede and Stella Seal reach global platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
Jackson Brefo, the CEO of GHAMRO, has been outspoken about royalty challenges in Ghana. He recently revealed that nearly 90 percent of broadcasters in the country are not paying the royalties they owe. Since becoming head of GHAMRO in 2024, he has taken legal steps to recover those unpaid funds.
Richmond Adu‑Poku, General Secretary of GAPI and CEO of Ghana Music Live, is known for pushing policy change and fighting for fair treatment of Ghanaian musicians. He regularly speaks out on the risks of piracy and poor monetization in the digital age. He also supports upcoming talents through projects like the Unsung Artist Incubation programme.
What the partnership will do
This new alliance will focus on aligning and improving how music metadata is handled. That includes the use of unique identifiers like ISRC and ISWC codes, which are used worldwide to track songs and royalties.
Here are the main things they plan to work on:
- Creating a shared system for storing and verifying music metadata
- Offering training and resources for artists and producers so they can register their works correctly
- Fixing old or incorrect data in existing systems
- Running a pilot project with selected artists to test the new system
- Setting up regular meetings to monitor progress and solve problems as they arise
Laying the foundation for the future
A formal agreement is in the works to guide how the three organizations will share information and manage the process. Each group has its own role:
- GHAMRO will handle rights validation and track registered works
- Apprise Music will supply digital metadata and ISRC codes
- GAPI will focus on older music catalogs and make sure members follow the rules
The agreement will last for two years to start, with the option to extend.
This move is more than a one-time partnership. It is a long-term shift toward fairness and accountability in Ghana’s creative industry. For artists, it could mean fewer unpaid royalties and better recognition for their work.
If successful, the model could serve as an example for other African countries looking to improve how they manage music rights.
