Song Copyright PNBP Tariff Now Free to Ensure Smooth Royalty Distribution

The Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) at the Ministry of Law has officially set a zero-rupiah tariff, making the copyright registration for songs and music free of charge. The adjustment to the non-tax state revenue (PNBP) tariff, from the previous Rp 200,000 to Rp 0, is stipulated in Government Regulation Number 30 of 2026 and will take effect on 1 August 2026. Director General of Intellectual Property Hermansyah Siregar stated that the policy was formulated based on the strategic need to strengthen the national music ecosystem. “The exemption of the song and/or music registration tariff is a state investment to build a more complete national music database,” Hermansyah said in a written statement. He explained that the more works are registered, the stronger the database becomes as a foundation for copyright protection and fair, transparent, and accountable royalty governance for creators, performers, and related rights holders. According to DJKI data, out of approximately 7 million song and music works in Indonesia, only around 0.37%, or 26,000 works, are currently registered in the Song and/or Music Data Centre. This situation is considered to potentially hinder the process of identifying rights ownership and distributing royalties to entitled parties. With the abolition of the PNBP tariff for song and music copyrights, DJKI hopes that more creators, musicians, record producers, and related rights holders will register their works, thereby making the national database more comprehensive. The data will be integrated with the information system of the National Collective Management Agency (LMKN) to support more targeted royalty distribution. Hermansyah emphasised that the zero-rupiah tariff policy does not mean the government is reducing its attention to other types of works. All intellectual works, including books, written works, photography, computer programmes, fine art, films, and other creations, remain entitled to equal legal protection in accordance with statutory provisions. “This demonstrates the government’s seriousness in building a comprehensive national database for songs and music as the foundation for royalty governance. Therefore, the government is presenting this affirmative policy without reducing its commitment to providing protection for all types of intellectual works,” said Hermansyah. Copyright registration for songs and music can be done electronically through the Automatic Copyright Registration Approval (POP HC) system via the link hakcipta.dgip.go.id, which enables a faster and more efficient registration process.