Specialist Service · Part of our music label services
Caribbean Music Label Services for UK Artists
Publishing administration, digital distribution, and royalty collection for reggae, dancehall, soca, calypso, and steelband artists. JACAP, COTT, and ECCO coordination, Boomplay delivery, and riddim publishing expertise from Mayfair, London.
What Caribbean Music Services Cover
Caribbean music generates royalties from sources that most UK distributors and publishing administrators do not know how to reach. JACAP, COTT, and ECCO collect royalties within their territories that PRS for Music does not automatically collect on your behalf, even with reciprocal agreements in place. Here is what we cover.
JACAP Royalty Collection (Jamaica)
We coordinate registration with JACAP and manage ongoing royalty collection from Jamaica. UK-based Jamaican artists and songwriters are frequently owed JACAP income that never arrives because PRS reciprocal mechanisms do not activate without active registration on both sides.
COTT Royalty Collection (Trinidad and Tobago)
COTT administers performance royalties in Trinidad and Tobago, including carnival-specific licensing income for soca, calypso, and steelband compositions. We register you with COTT and coordinate carnival income claims so road march and broadcast performances generate the royalties they owe.
ECCO Coordination (Eastern Caribbean)
ECCO (Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation) covers Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, and Saint Vincent. If your music is performed across the Eastern Caribbean, ECCO royalties are separate from JACAP and COTT. We coordinate registration and collection across all three.
Boomplay and Caribbean Platform Delivery
Boomplay and Audiomack are the primary streaming platforms for Caribbean diaspora audiences. We include both alongside all major DSPs as standard for Caribbean artists, ensuring your releases reach the full geographic spread of your audience.
Riddim Publishing Administration
We handle the complex publishing requirements unique to reggae and dancehall: riddim ownership documentation, ISWC registration for the riddim composition, writer split agreements between riddim producers and vocalists, and royalty distribution to all parties.
PRS Reciprocal Agreement Management
PRS for Music has reciprocal agreements with Caribbean PROs, but they do not always function without active coordination. We ensure your PRS registration is correctly structured to maximise inbound royalty flow from JACAP, COTT, and ECCO through the reciprocal mechanism.
Why UK Caribbean Artists Leave Royalties Uncollected
The three most common reasons Caribbean artists based in the UK miss royalties they are owed.
- 01
PRS reciprocal agreements need active management
PRS for Music has bilateral agreements with JACAP, COTT, and ECCO, but royalties from those territories do not flow automatically. They require correct registration on both sides, active claims in some cases, and ongoing monitoring. Most artists assume PRS handles everything. It does not without intervention.
- 02
Riddim splits are rarely documented correctly
When multiple artists record over the same riddim, the publishing splits between the riddim producer and each vocalist are often informal or undocumented. Without ISWC registration and formal split documentation, royalties from performances of those songs are either held or paid to the wrong party.
- 03
Carnival income requires COTT registration
Soca and calypso artists performing or broadcast during Carnival Season in Trinidad and Tobago generate specific licensing income through COTT. This income does not flow through mainstream performing rights mechanisms and requires separate COTT registration and a claims process that most UK-based artists have never initiated.
Caribbean Music Services: Common Questions
What is JACAP and do I need to register with them?+
JACAP (Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is the Jamaican performing rights organisation. If you are a songwriter or composer with Jamaican roots or whose music is performed in Jamaica, JACAP collects performance royalties on your behalf there. UK-based Caribbean artists are frequently owed JACAP income that goes uncollected because they are only registered with PRS for Music. PRS has a reciprocal agreement with JACAP, but it does not always function correctly without active registration. We coordinate registration and cross-border royalty collection for you.
What is the difference between JACAP, COTT, and ECCO?+
JACAP (Jamaica), COTT (Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago), and ECCO (Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation) are all performing rights organisations covering different Caribbean territories. Each collects royalties from performances, broadcasts, and public use of music within their jurisdiction. If your music is performed across the Caribbean, you may be owed royalties from multiple organisations. We coordinate registration and collection from all relevant Caribbean PROs so nothing is missed.
Do you include Boomplay in your distribution?+
Yes. Boomplay is the leading streaming platform for African and Caribbean diaspora audiences, with over 100 million users across sub-Saharan Africa and growing presence in the UK and Caribbean diaspora. We include Boomplay delivery alongside all major DSPs (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer) as standard for Caribbean artists. We also deliver to Audiomack, which has significant reggae, dancehall, and soca listenership.
How does riddim publishing work?+
In reggae and dancehall, a riddim is an instrumental track (beat) over which multiple vocalists record songs. The riddim producer owns the underlying composition, while each vocalist owns their melodic top line. This creates a complex publishing scenario where multiple works exist over the same riddim. We handle riddim ownership documentation, ISWC registration for the riddim composition, writer split agreements between the riddim producer and vocalists, and ensure royalties flow correctly to all parties.
Can you help with soca and carnival music licensing?+
Yes. Soca and carnival music has specific licensing requirements around carnival events, road marches, and broadcast. COTT (Trinidad and Tobago) administers carnival-specific licensing income. We coordinate COTT registration and carnival income collection for UK-based soca artists so that performances at Notting Hill Carnival, international carnival events, and Carnival Season broadcasts generate the royalties they should.
From our Journal
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Caribbean Music Royalties: JACAP, COTT, ECCO and JAMMS in Plain English
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JACAP Explained: What Jamaican and Caribbean Songwriters Need to Know
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Reggae Music Distribution: UK-Based Options for Artists
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How Reggae Artists Get Paid in 2026
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Soca Music Distribution: Timing Your Releases for Carnival
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Reggae Sync Licensing: The Untapped Goldmine