Monday May 19th 2008

RIATT is presently venturing into a project that consists of monitoring and analyzing our local recording industry. We are aware that various reports were done by selected experts and researchers. However these reports have not been done consistently.

Looking at our industry at a glance, we are now in the year 2008 and there is a clear indication that the number of performing artists groups and bands has increased together with their performance fees. Also there are a total of 34 radio stations and 10 television stations; new annual brand name events within and outside of the carnival season, an online digital market in its embryonic stage, increased number of COTT’s writer and publisher members, other collective management of rights organizations and a newly established neighboring rights organization.

As the list goes on there is still no system in place to accurately monitor estimated gross revenues, percentages of GDP earnings, the number of persons directly employed within the recording industry et cetera. We cannot continue to work in a market that has no means of measuring progress or failure.

To this end RIATT is initiating a project to ensure annual reports are prepared. Our objective will be to facilitate local stakeholders, the private sector, journalists, government and other interested parties in gaining knowledge and financial statistics about our local recording industry. We believe showing annual financial statistics will highlight the value of our recording industry thus raising its international profile.
Reports on the following will be made available annually and can be viewed on our website www.riatt.org

• GDP Contribution
• Job Creation
• Foreign Earnings
• Local Produced Music CD sales – in stores, downloads etc
• Earnings from Live Performances
• Earnings from Non dramatic performances (Copyright Music Organisation of T&T (COTT) and Trinidad and Tobago Copyright Organisation.(TTCO)
• Earnings from Non dramatic performances (Related Rights Agency for Phonograms and performances (ReRAPP)
• Earnings from the Issuance of Various Licenses allowing users to use songs in
• CDs, (Mechanical, master use Licenses)
• Film, (Syncronisation Licenses)
• Theatre (Grand Licenses)
• Commercials, (Television and Radio)
• Books, (Print Licenses)
• Consumer spending patterns on CD purchases, live events etc.
• Earnings from local digital and Online Market.
• Earnings from Single track and Album downloads to computer or mobile (TrinidadTunes.com Toronto-Lime.com etc)
• Earnings from licenses for Mobile master ringtones - Soca, Chutney, Calypso, pan and other genre of locally produced music.
• Earnings from Music video downloads

For further information contact:
Fabien Alfonso
Email: info@riatt.org
1-868-682-8174