If you can pay electricity and water bills, why can’t you pay for music! – Chozen Blood.

By and by, musicians in Uganda have always agitated for the notion of buying music instead of just getting all musical content on a free basis.

All these attempts maybe would have been successful years ago if so there were stringent measures put up by the government and the music stakeholders in ensuring its adherence.

As this stands, the industry has seen a sprung-up of numerous free musical downloading sites. In that, an individual is able to download and listen to a song using their MBs, the site’s owner earns but this leaves the musician out of the equation.

This however, seems to be in its evening days for most of the musicians have since risen up to see that people start buying their music from online music stores where they too, are entitled to some earning.

One of the many musicians pushing this forward is singer Chozen Blood. He says that like any other utility is paid for, so should be on music.

“Music is like electricity, water ― it is a utility that people use at home. If you can pay electricity and water bills, why can’t you pay for music since it is played every day? Just imagine if they say that you are not going to listen to Ugandan music for a month, can you afford it? However possible that would be, you are being hurt,” Chozen Blood said.

Chozen thinks that since music is a utility, what more is necessary is the government to come together with the music fraternity so that means that are visible and possible to earn from this art are implemented. He added that not so much does he know about UgaTunes which needs to be known well if musicians are to use it.

“I have heard about UgaTunes but I don’t know much about it. That means it has to do more to let us understand what it is all about so that we can work with it if we deem it worthy. And if it is not worth it, we find other means because the market is available and what to sell. Whether they say that one can buy a song with their mobile money at 500 or 800 shillings, it can work. We the creators have done our part and so should, all other stakeholders,” he said.

UgaTunes is a platform developed by Ugandans for Ugandan artists, and is highly supported by General Salim Saleh, which was launched by Tune Hub Uganda Limited on May 1, 2021 at Pope Paul Memorial Hotel in Mengo. This is aimed at seeing Ugandan artists both established and upcoming, digitally distribute their music globally —with the aim to reach international platforms as they earn some money off their music every time a subscriber listens or downloads their music.

Like most subscription-based music services, UgaTunes will see artists earn when subscribers listen to their music, as well as from when their music is downloaded. Artistes that reach a threshold of USD$100 (approx. UGX370, 000) in earnings, can be able to make withdrawals paid via mobile money.

Artistes that signup on the platform will be able to own and control their music, distribute their music, and receive distribution royalties while they monetize their music. Tune Hub promised that UgaTunes will allow musicians to retain rights to their songs and allow them to distribute the songs on their personal social media platforms including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter among others to get more listeners.