Recording Industry of South Africa
Encyclopedia
The Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA) is a trade association
that represents the collective interests of producers of music sound recordings, major and independent record label
s in South Africa
. Formerly known as the Association of the South African Music Industry (ASAMI) it was established in the 1970s. The association consists of approximately 1,000 members, including the big four record labels, Sony Music, Universal Music, EMI
and Warner Bros. Records
(part of Gallo
Warner in South Africa).
RiSA is responsible for running the annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs), acknowledging status awards for album sales and the publishing of South Africa's official album chart.
RiSA is recognised by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry as the official National Group for the Recording Industry in South Africa.
which govern membership, but in practice applicants (any record company) are not rejected. No current member has been expelled from the organisation
. RiSA has a policy
to seek to accommodate diversity
within its ranks and structures. The ultimate control of the organisation is vested in the members in an annual general meeting
where an executive of twelve members is elected. No company or group of companies may have more than two representatives on the board of directors
which elects its own chairperson. The chairperson, in consultation with and on the advice of the board of directors, appoints various executive members and other member representatives to serve on a variety of subcommittees which report directly to the executive committee through a duly elected chairman. The organisation itself and the board of directors and the subcommittees are served by a full-time secretariat comprising seven people and the RiSA Anti-Piracy Unit (RAPU). The board of directors meet on a monthly basis. Subcommittees are expected to meet on a monthly basis and to report their activities to the board of directors through the secretariat.
Membership of the RiSA entitles a member to the following benefits:
in South Africa
.
RiSA is recognised by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry as the official National Group for the Recording Industry in South Africa. As the recognised National Group for the Recording Industry in South Africa, RiSA enjoys international recognition.
qualifies for a platinum certification if it exceeds 50,000 copies shipped to retailers and a gold certification for 25,000 copies shipped. (see Music recording sales certification
)
s and compilation album
s into a top twenty form. The chart is based on physical album sales from all credited music stores across South Africa, the credited stores showcase the weekly chart in top 20 form within in their stores for display. The chart is published on the Radio Sonder Grense
website every Saturday and between 13:00 and 14:00 Central African Time - the album chart is announced nationally on air courtesy of Radio Sonder Grense. The show is done in the language of Afrikaans
and presented by Ettiene Loudick who cherrypicks tracks from the album chart to play during the hour. Sales certifications are also published weekly on the same site.
Trade association
A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association or sector association, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry...
that represents the collective interests of producers of music sound recordings, major and independent record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
s in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. Formerly known as the Association of the South African Music Industry (ASAMI) it was established in the 1970s. The association consists of approximately 1,000 members, including the big four record labels, Sony Music, Universal Music, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
and Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
(part of Gallo
Gallo Record Company
Gallo Record Company is the largest record label in Africa. It is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is owned by Avusa Limited . The current Gallo Record Company is a hybrid of two rival South African record labels between the '40s and '80s: the original Gallo Africa and G.R.C...
Warner in South Africa).
RiSA is responsible for running the annual South African Music Awards (SAMAs), acknowledging status awards for album sales and the publishing of South Africa's official album chart.
RiSA is recognised by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry as the official National Group for the Recording Industry in South Africa.
Membership
The RiSA has various rules and proceduresProcedural law
Procedural law or adjective law comprises the rules by which a court hears and determines what happens in civil lawsuit, criminal or administrative proceedings. The rules are designed to ensure a fair and consistent application of due process or fundamental justice to all cases that come before...
which govern membership, but in practice applicants (any record company) are not rejected. No current member has been expelled from the organisation
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
. RiSA has a policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
to seek to accommodate diversity
Diversity (business)
The "business case for diversity" stems from the progression of the models of diversity within the workplace since the 1960's. The original model for diversity was situated around affirmative action drawing strength from the law and a need to comply with equal employment opportunity objectives...
within its ranks and structures. The ultimate control of the organisation is vested in the members in an annual general meeting
Annual general meeting
An annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...
where an executive of twelve members is elected. No company or group of companies may have more than two representatives on the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
which elects its own chairperson. The chairperson, in consultation with and on the advice of the board of directors, appoints various executive members and other member representatives to serve on a variety of subcommittees which report directly to the executive committee through a duly elected chairman. The organisation itself and the board of directors and the subcommittees are served by a full-time secretariat comprising seven people and the RiSA Anti-Piracy Unit (RAPU). The board of directors meet on a monthly basis. Subcommittees are expected to meet on a monthly basis and to report their activities to the board of directors through the secretariat.
Membership of the RiSA entitles a member to the following benefits:
- To have its repertoire protected by the RAPU to the extent that the unit is able to do so. The RAPU is only entitled to carry out its work on behalf of members and in regard to counterfeitCounterfeitTo counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
products that violate the copyrightCopyrightCopyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
s of members. RiSA members are required to support the RAPU in regard to proving chain of title in regard to their intellectual property rights which have been infringed by the manufacture of counterfeit products. - Entering their releases for the annual South African Music Awards at a preferential rate compared to non-members.
- Using the services of RiSA in order to participate in the licensing of their video products to broadcasters and other.
- RiSA members are required to operate subject to a Code of ConductCode of ConductA code of conduct is a set of rules outlining the responsibilities of or proper practices for an individual, party or organization. Related concepts include ethical codes and honor codes....
. RiSA members or artistArtistAn artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
s contracted to RiSA members are entitled to refer controversyControversyControversy is a state of prolonged public dispute or debate, usually concerning a matter of opinion. The word was coined from the Latin controversia, as a composite of controversus – "turned in an opposite direction," from contra – "against" – and vertere – to turn, or versus , hence, "to turn...
to RiSA which they believe are subject to the provisions of the Code of Conduct and RiSA endeavourEndeavour- Organizations :* Endeavor , a non-profit organization based in New York, New York* Endeavour , a non-profit organisation in Queensland, Australia* Christian Endeavor International...
s to resolve such controversies through mediationMediationMediation, as used in law, is a form of alternative dispute resolution , a way of resolving disputes between two or more parties. A third party, the mediator, assists the parties to negotiate their own settlement...
when its possible to do so. - Legal adviceLegal adviceIn the common law, legal advice is the giving of a formal opinion regarding the substance or procedure of the law by an officer of the court , ordinarily in exchange for financial or other tangible compensation...
on a variety of matters affecting their business regularly requested by RiSA's secretariat by a large number of members. Such advice is rendered free of charge although members are required to consult their own legal advisors in relation to specific disputes of litigationLawsuitA lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
. - Being part industry recognition agreements with representative bodies of copyright holders. If a record company is not a member, the company will have to negotiate with these entitiesEntityAn entity is something that has a distinct, separate existence, although it need not be a material existence. In particular, abstractions and legal fictions are usually regarded as entities. In general, there is also no presumption that an entity is animate.An entity could be viewed as a set...
individually regarding a mechanical transfer rate.
RiSA Anti-Piracy Unit
RiSA also contains the RiSA Anti-Piracy Unit or RAPU. The South African Copyright Act of 1978 states: "You may not make a copy of a sound recording without the permission of the author.". This has been interpreted to mean that's it's illegal to convert a CD to MP3MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
in South Africa
.
RiSA is recognised by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry as the official National Group for the Recording Industry in South Africa. As the recognised National Group for the Recording Industry in South Africa, RiSA enjoys international recognition.
RiSA certifications
A music albumAlbum
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
qualifies for a platinum certification if it exceeds 50,000 copies shipped to retailers and a gold certification for 25,000 copies shipped. (see Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
)
| Albums | |
|---|---|
| Gold | Platinum |
| 25,000 | 50,000 |
Record chart
South Africa's only official chart is compiled by RISA and it is an album chart that combines studio albumStudio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
s and compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s into a top twenty form. The chart is based on physical album sales from all credited music stores across South Africa, the credited stores showcase the weekly chart in top 20 form within in their stores for display. The chart is published on the Radio Sonder Grense
Radio Sonder Grense
Radio Sonder Grense , i.e. Radio Without Borders, is an Afrikaans language radio service run by the South African Broadcasting Corporation for the whole of South Africa. Since Afrikaans is one of South Africa's 11 official languages, the SABC is required to carry an Afrikaans-language service on...
website every Saturday and between 13:00 and 14:00 Central African Time - the album chart is announced nationally on air courtesy of Radio Sonder Grense. The show is done in the language of Afrikaans
Afrikaans
Afrikaans is a West Germanic language, spoken natively in South Africa and Namibia. It is a daughter language of Dutch, originating in its 17th century dialects, collectively referred to as Cape Dutch .Afrikaans is a daughter language of Dutch; see , , , , , .Afrikaans was historically called Cape...
and presented by Ettiene Loudick who cherrypicks tracks from the album chart to play during the hour. Sales certifications are also published weekly on the same site.
External links
- Current Album Chart (in Afrikaans)
- Chart Archive