Marcell Siahaan Pushes for Fair Royalties Through Digital Catalogue Revival
The National Collective Management Institute (LMKN) has officially entered into a strategic partnership with USEA Global through the signing of a Cooperation Agreement on Monday (21/7/2026). This collaboration aims to revive old songs, or sleeping repertoire, so they can regain economic value through digital platforms.
The Chairman of LMKN for Related Rights Holders, Marcell Siahaan, stated that musical works are never truly dead as long as they are still being played. Through this partnership, songs that have not been heard for a long time are expected to become popular again and provide motivation for creators to continue producing work.
‘Our hope is that by working with this platform, songs that are no longer widely heard can be played again. This can certainly motivate the creators to continue their other works,’ Marcell said in Jakarta.
Marcell emphasised that the economic benefits from the use of musical works do not cease even after the creator has passed away. Royalties remain a right that can be received by heirs. The new system is designed to realise a fairer and more proportional royalty distribution based on actual usage on digital platforms.
The partnership with USEA Global is also seen as a solution to royalty challenges in the Indonesian music industry. Digital platforms can now legally utilise song catalogues, while LMKN obtains accurate music usage reference data as a basis for managing and distributing royalties.
In the first year of implementation, LMKN will focus on refining the music usage management system. This step serves as a pilot project to build the foundation of a transparent digital royalty system. Although the impact will not be instant, Marcell is optimistic that this system will deliver tangible results for rights holders.
For Marcell, the success of this collaboration is measured not only by orderly administration but also by public appreciation for Indonesian musical works. When old songs are played again, the economic rights of creators and heirs attached to those works are also protected.