The Ghana Music Rights Organization, better known as GHAMRO, is the body responsible for protecting the rights of music creators in Ghana. It ensures that composers, songwriters, music publishers, and producers are fairly compensated whenever their music is used in public.
Think of GHAMRO as the bridge between music creators and music users. Creators make the music, users play it, and GHAMRO makes sure the creators get paid.
How GHAMRO came into existence
GHAMRO was established in 2012, taking over from the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA). It was formed under Section 49 of the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690) and operates under the Copyright Legislative Instrument 1962. The organization was set up under the oversight of the Attorney General’s Office and the Copyright Office.
Key facts about GHAMRO’s establishment
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2012 |
| Origin | Formed from COSGA |
| Legal basis | Section 49, Copyright Act 2005 (Act 690) |
| Regulation | Copyright Legislative Instrument 1962 |
| Nature | Non-profit Collective Management Organization |
What GHAMRO does
GHAMRO’s core job is to license, collect, and distribute royalties for copyrighted music works.
How it works:
- Licensing – GHAMRO issues licences to music users (radio stations, event organisers, bars, TV stations, online platforms), allowing them to play any music in its repertoire legally.
- Collecting royalties – The organisation collects licence fees from these users.
- Distributing royalties – After covering operational costs, GHAMRO distributes the collected fees to rights holders in proportion to the use of their works.
GHAMRO’s functions in summary
| Function | What it means | Who benefits |
|---|---|---|
| Licensing | Grants legal permission to use music in public or commercial spaces | Music users & the public |
| Royalty collection | Gathers fees from music users based on their licences | Music creators & publishers |
| Royalty distribution | Pays creators according to how often their work is used | Composers, authors, publishers, producers |
| International representation | Protects Ghanaian works abroad and manages foreign works in Ghana | Both Ghanaian and international creators |
GHAMRO’s global connections
GHAMRO is part of a worldwide network of composers’ societies. Through reciprocal agreements, it allows foreign societies to manage Ghanaian works in their countries while GHAMRO manages theirs in Ghana. This means:
- Ghanaian music is protected in around 150 countries.
- GHAMRO’s repertoire includes over 1,000,000 works from global creators.
- Music users in Ghana can access this vast collection with just one licence.
Why music users need GHAMRO
Without GHAMRO, music users would have to contact each rights holder individually — an impossible task given the size of music catalogues.
Benefits to music users:
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| One-stop licensing | Pay once, get legal access to local and global music |
| Legal protection | Avoid lawsuits for copyright infringement |
| Wide repertoire | Use music from over 1 million creators worldwide |
Becoming a GHAMRO member
Membership is open to:
- Composers
- Lyricists
- Music publishers
- Producers
By joining, members ensure they receive royalties for the use of their work, both in Ghana and internationally.
Why GHAMRO matters
In a world where music is consumed everywhere — from streaming platforms to live concerts — GHAMRO ensures that creators get their fair share. Without it, many artists would lose income and protection for their work.
Learn more directly from GHAMRO by visiting their official website: ghamroonline.org
