#SHOWBIZ: RIM seeks dedicated Budget 2027 fund to push Malaysian music globally

KUALA LUMPUR: The Recording Industry Association of Malaysia (RIM) is calling on the government to establish a dedicated fund under Budget 2027 to propel local music onto the global stage and open new international revenue streams for homegrown talent.

RIM chairman Rosmin Hashim said financial backing is crucial as the sector's trajectory is increasingly shaped by streaming services such as Spotify and YouTube, as well as social media powerhouses like TikTok and Facebook.

He explained that the rapid rise in digital earnings, combined with the efforts of collective management organisations, has directly empowered music creators, record labels and rights owners through increased digital sales and royalty distributions.

"Earnings from digital platforms and collective management organisations have indeed brought immense benefits to music industry players, as they are now earning higher incomes," Rosmin said in a recent Bernama report.

Beyond international expansion, RIM is lobbying for a larger total allocation in the upcoming national budget to stimulate domestic industry growth and fortify copyright enforcement.

Citing an economic impact study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Rosmin noted that the Malaysian music sector currently contributes a staggering RM19.5 billion annually to the national economy — a figure he believes could rise significantly with strategic government investment.

"I believe that with a larger allocation, the national economic output generated by this industry can be enhanced."

Rosmin also urged the government to allocate sufficient resources to the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry to safeguard intellectual property in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) landscape.

He stressed the necessity of requiring AI developers to obtain formal licensing before using copyrighted creative works to train machine learning models.

"Licensing enables copyright owners to generate revenue from the use of their works in training AI models, as well as from the output generated by the technology. When licences are obtained legally, both parties — the copyright owners and the AI developers — will mutually benefit."