ECCO disburses over $1 Million in royalties to artistes

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – DESPITE ongoing challenges in St. Kitts and Nevis, the Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights (ECCO) Inc. has announced a milestone disbursement of more than $1 million in performance royalties to its members and affiliates.

The regional music rights body, which represents performers across the OECS and the wider Caribbean, revealed that for the month of June alone, it paid out $1,044,083.85 to members and associated music rights societies around the world.

ECCO’s CEO, Martin James, described the payout as significant, especially given the growing difficulties the organization faces in securing compliance across various territories.

“We are indeed happy to be making out such a landmark payout, simply because we are facing many challenges in the region," James said. "And the challenges such as the lack of compliance, the infringements, and the lack of the harmonization of the respective copyright laws within the region.”

“We are indeed happy to be making such a landmark payout, simply because we are facing many challenges in the region,” James said. “These include a lack of compliance, ongoing infringements, and the absence of harmonized copyright laws across the islands.”

His comments come amid a legal standoff in St. Kitts and Nevis, where ECCO has been blocked from operating after failing to meet requirements set out under the 2024 Copyright (Collective Management Organisations) Regulations.

During a court hearing last month, it was revealed that ECCO had not obtained the necessary approvals to continue operating under the updated legislation, despite repeated notices from the government.

Before being barred from functioning in the Federation, ECCO had licensed several promoters, events, media agencies, and bars, allowing them to play music legally without violating copyright laws.

While celebrating the substantial June payout, James noted that the majority of the funds are going directly to ECCO members for their creative work. The sum represents approximately 56 percent of the revenue collected by the organization for the month.

He emphasized that with continued cooperation and support from governments across the subregion, future disbursements could be even greater.

In the meantime, ECCO is urging entertainers to take greater responsibility in ensuring their music is properly registered to secure accurate and timely compensation. Artistes are also being encouraged to register the locations where their performances occur, which helps in calculating royalty payouts.

ECCO confirmed that artistes will begin receiving their royalties from tomorrow, July 2.