Palestine: a unique project which can be an example for the entire MENA area

Which expertise can SACEM bring to the program to Support the Palestinian Music Industry (SPMI)?

Habib Achour : More and more countries come to us to improve their legislative framework and better remunerate creators across the entire value chain of the music industry. There is a real political awareness, especially in Africa and in the Middle East regarding the economic weight and the impact of cultural and creative industries. It is about considering all cultural stakeholders, encouraging them, but also generating more income for the concerned countries. I am thinking in particular of countries where creativity does evolve quickly, like Nigeria or Ivory Coast.

We think about a partnership with AFD since a long time, this is our first agreement of this type, in partnership with Expertise France. SACEM contributes to the performance of the cultural and creative industries through the copyright system, which allows the remuneration of creators wherever possible. We want to support a sustainable ecosystem, which allows creation to be better remunerated, and also to promote musical works exploitation.

What are the challenges of renovating the legal framework of copyrights for the Palestinian music industry?

Habib Achour : On a strictly legislative level, this involves modifying the copyright law to make it practicable in the current context. Palestinian law dates from the beginning of the 20th century. Of course, the main principles are there, especially those resulting from the Berne Convention of 1886 related to the protection of works. But it has not been updated since: it is necessary to integrate the contemporary bases related to copyrights, in particular online exploitation, the principle of proportionality in the remuneration of creators and the broadcasting authorizations of creators works in public space. We are here to provide recommendations on the legal framework and to propose an action plan for a CMO.

Samer Jaradat : The project will also help to protect artists, by allowing them to legally and legitimately collect the royalties generated by their works. We have many ambitions, first of all to lay the foundations of a virtuous and sustainable industry

What’s the expected impact of this project to Support the Palestinian Music Industry?

Samer Jaradat : We need a broad support to develop infrastructure and a more active ecosystem for the Palestinian music industry, to promote the transmission of knowledges in artistic production, to benefit from data and statistics necessary for the development of our industry. The project funded by AFD and implemented by Expertise France and SACEM will allow us to combine all the learning we need. What is happening here in Palestine, through this project, is unique and can serve as an example for the entire MENA area.

Habib Achour : Within two years, if we manage to put the principles of the law’s update and the structuring of copyrights collection, protecting creators, we will have made a big step forward.

What will be the Palestine Music Conference ?

Samer Jaradat : The music industry is large, it does concern radio and TV but also streaming platforms, artistic companies, etc. With the elaboration of the CMO, the stakeholders in the music industry will be able to take advantage of a space for discussion, develop artistic and commercial alliances and share a common, essential vision of what we want to go towards. During the conference which will take place in Ramallah, discussions will revolve around the legal framework, digital innovation, the musical community and communication. Everyone will be present, including researchers, including policy makers, it’s a unique opportunity.

Habib Achour : It is essential to have all concerned parties around the table, including at the government level, in particular the Ministry of Culture, which aims at protecting and promoting the Palestinian music industry. Through this conference, we wish to bring together stakeholders towards a common interest, to then be able to offer a better status to the actors of music industry as a whole, creators, editors, labels, content aggregators, places of production and distribution of artists.

What are the strengths of the Palestinian musical industry?

Habib Achour : What distinguishes the Palestinian music industry from that of the rest of the MENA area is this extraordinary concentration of musicians, listened to all over the world, particularly through the diaspora. But the exploitation of their works is currently under monetized

Samer Jaradat : We have a very rich musical culture, which combines Mediterranean and Arab influences. It benefits from being better known and we can expand the offer of musical consumption in the coming years. We have many talents, some are world famous, like the Joubran trio or DJ Sama’ Abdulhadi, and our musical offering is very diverse. There are some great success stories but they remain very individual, we need more collective support for artists.

What are the main breaks to the development of the Palestinian music industry?

Samer Jaradat : The unstable political situation we face does not favor the marketing and distribution of musical works, including through digital technology. It also limits our exchanges with the international musical community. But legally structuring the sector, professionalizing its actors, training the young generations remain essential.

To find out more, read the project sheet