Chozen Blood has revealed that he refunded the money he received from the Uganda Performing Right Society (UPRS), saying the amount was too little and raising concerns about how the organization distributes royalties to artists.
Speaking in an interview with Galaxy TV, Chozen Blood disclosed that he received Shs60,000 from UPRS but decided to send it back. His revelation comes after fellow musicians Weasel, Spice Diana and Lydia Jazmine also publicly confirmed receiving royalty payments from the collecting society.
“I received it and refunded it to their account. I told them that if they are not ready to come out and openly explain the payment procedure to stakeholders, they should stop disbursing the money and first explain the process so that we understand it. I have been singing for 15 years, you can’t give me Shs60,000. It’s like cursing my business,” he said.
The singer questioned how UPRS arrived at the figure, arguing that his investment in music over the years should have been taken into account.
Chozen Blood noted that he has more than 100 music videos on YouTube, with none attracting fewer than 100,000 views, and wondered how such a catalog could translate into a payout of just Shs60,000.
He also urged UPRS to improve communication with artists, insisting that transparency is essential if musicians are to trust the royalty distribution system. “We need each other; they shouldn’t paint a picture that we need them more. Let’s get professional public relations officers,” he added.
Chozen Blood’s comments add to the ongoing debate within Uganda’s music industry over royalty collections and distributions, with several artists continuing to demand greater accountability and clearer explanations from UPRS on how payments are calculated.