Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad & Tobago (COTT)

COTT (Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago) is a non-profit membership organisation representing approximately 3,000 local songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers. Incorporated on July 10, 1984, it was the first national collective management organisation established in the Caribbean and began operating in 1985. It administers performing and reproduction rights under the Copyright Act 1997 of Trinidad and Tobago. COTT is best suited for Trinidadian and Tobagonian music creators who need a domestic society to license their works and collect royalties from public performance, broadcasting, streaming, and mechanical reproduction.

How COTT Works

COTT licenses businesses that play music publicly in Trinidad and Tobago, including radio stations, television broadcasters, streaming platforms, bars, restaurants, retail stores, hotels, concert promoters, and event venues. It collects license fees and distributes them as royalties to members based on usage reports, airplay logs, and digital streaming data.

Before COTT was established, the UK's Performing Right Society (PRS) operated an agency in Trinidad and Tobago. COTT was founded by a committee of local musicians and industry figures including Nappy Mayers, Bro. Resistance (Lutalo Masimba), Seko Tafari, Wade Simon, Arnold Shuffler, James Lloyd, Llewellyn Mac Intosh, Francis Escayg, and Seadly Joseph.

COTT is a provisional member of CISAC, having joined in 1988. It represents the works of 2 million songwriters worldwide through reciprocal agreements with collecting societies around the globe. COTT is also a founding member of the Association of Caribbean Copyright Societies (ACCS, formerly known as CCL), alongside COSCAP (Barbados), JACAP (Jamaica), and ECCO (Eastern Caribbean).

In addition to rights management, COTT serves as the National Agency for administration of ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) for Trinidad and Tobago. This means master rights owners in the country can obtain Registrant Codes through COTT to generate ISRCs for their audio and video recordings.

COTT has also expanded into neighbouring rights collection. In 2019, COTT signed an agreement with IFPI to begin collecting for performers and producers, adding neighbouring rights to its portfolio alongside traditional performing and reproduction rights.

The organisation is managed by a Board of Directors elected from and by the membership every three years, consisting of Writer, Producer, Performer, and Publisher members. Ayanna Belgrave-Lewis serves as Manager of Finance and Administration.

Real-World Example

A Trinidadian calypso songwriter registers 25 songs with COTT. A Port of Spain radio station plays 10 of those songs during Carnival season, a streaming platform reports 150,000 streams, and three venues in San Fernando hold blanket licenses covering live performances. COTT collects royalties from all three sources.

The songwriter receives a distribution based on the radio airplay logs, streaming usage data, and venue license fees. If the same songs get airplay in Barbados, COSCAP collects those royalties and remits them to COTT, which then pays the songwriter.

A songwriter with regular local airplay during Carnival season and moderate streaming numbers might earn anywhere from $1,000 to $10,000 TTD annually in performance royalties through COTT, depending on the frequency and type of use.

Drawbacks / Things to Consider

COTT operates in a small market. Trinidad and Tobago has a population of approximately 1.5 million, which limits the domestic royalty pool. International royalties depend on reciprocal agreements and the reporting speed of foreign societies.

The organisation has faced challenges common to Caribbean CMOs: resistance to paying for music licenses, limited use of written contracts in the local music industry, and gaps in copyright legislation. CEO Dr. Erica Smith of COSCAP (a partner society) has publicly noted that informal practices and poor business literacy plague the Caribbean creative sector.

COTT's online presence provides limited public information about distribution schedules, commission rates, and membership fees. Artists considering membership should contact COTT directly for current terms.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are a Trinidadian or Tobagonian songwriter, composer, or publisher, COTT membership is the primary way to collect performance and mechanical royalties for your works domestically and internationally. Without it, you would need to individually license every radio station, venue, and streaming platform that plays your music.

Register every composition with COTT as soon as it is commercially released. Include correct split shares and ISRC codes so your works can be matched to usage data. You can also obtain ISRC Registrant Codes through COTT to tag your recordings properly.

If your music is played internationally, COTT's reciprocal agreements with collecting societies worldwide mean foreign societies collect on your behalf. For non-Trinidadian artists, your home PRO collects from COTT through these same reciprocal agreements when your music is played in Trinidad and Tobago.

Related Resources

• Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) - What a PRO is and how it functions
• Performance Royalties - How performance royalties are generated and collected
• Mechanical Royalties - Understanding the difference between performance and mechanical royalties
• Neighboring Rights - How neighbouring rights work for performers and producers
• PRO Comparison Guide - Detailed comparison of PROs worldwide
• COTT Official Website - Visit COTT for membership and licensing information
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings