NCC Warns DJs Against Playing Music Without License, Cites Legal Consequences

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The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has issued a strong warning to disc jockeys (DJs) nationwide, cautioning them against playing music publicly without proper authorization or licensing.

In an advisory released on Wednesday in Abuja, John Asein, the director-general of the NCC, noted a rising trend of DJs performing music in public venues without obtaining copyright licenses from the authorised collective management organisations (CMOs). He emphasized that such actions violate Nigeria’s Copyright Act of 2022.

According to Asein, sections 9 and 12 of the Act grant exclusive rights to the copyright owner of a musical work or sound recording, including the rights to reproduce, perform, or publicly communicate the work.

“Engaging in any of these acts without the owner’s authorisation constitutes an infringement under the Act,” Asein stated.

“Such infringement may constitute a civil wrong or a criminal offence under section 44 (7), punishable upon conviction by a fine of not less than N1 million or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or to both.”

He stressed that DJs must obtain the appropriate licenses and ensure they pay royalties to the approved CMO before playing music publicly.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the approved CMO for musical works and sound recordings in Nigeria is the Musical Copyright Society, Nigeria (MCSN),” Asein clarified.

He also mentioned that the Disc Jockey’s Association of Nigeria (DJAN) had entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with MCSN, allowing DJs to facilitate royalty payments through the association.

“Under the arrangement, DJAN is authorised to work with MCSN to facilitate the payment of royalties by DJs nationwide, based on the tariff that DJAN had negotiated with MCSN,” Asein added.

The NCC concluded by warning that enforcement efforts will be stepped up, and violators will face prosecution in accordance with the law.

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