Musicians and other artistes need not worry anymore about how their new music is going to be played on radio or being heard by the public.
In Zimbabwe, commuter omnibuses (kombis), mushikashikas and long-distance buses are more than transport — they’re mobile media hubs where music and videos are promoted, distributed, and popularised. These vehicles not only move people but also shape culture, create hits, and influence what radios and DJs play. Many artistes owe their breakthrough to this grassroots platform, with conductors (mahwindi) and drivers acting as de facto DJs. There is a lot of inspiration drawn from this powerful role public transport plays in the music and cultural landscape.
Commuter omnibuses in Zimbabwe primarily feature local music, especially Zimdancehall and Sungura, serving as mobile platforms for artistes. They also assist artistes in the distribution of their. music.
’How many people have fallen in love with a tune they first heard in a minibus and have gone to buy it? Most Zimdancehall songs and Sungura tunes are played in these passenger vehicles. I understand that some musicians pay conductors (hwindis) to keep playing their songs in kombis.
There are four main types of music genres played in public transport:
Zimdancehall: This genre, heavily influenced by Jamaican dancehall, is currently the most listened-to music in these vehicles.
Sungura: An older, established local genre known for its upbeat rhythms and social commentary, it has stood the test of time.
Urban Grooves: A contemporary genre fusing local and global rhythms (R&B, rap) that was very popular in the early 2000s and still has a presencewith artistes such as Rocky, Stunner, Knox, Plaxedes Wenyika and Betty Makaya.
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Gospel: This genre also has a significant following, with artists like Charles Charamba, Fungisai Zvakavapano-Mashavave, Mahendere Brothers and Shingisai Siluma being popular.
The introduction of blanket radio licencing fees for every vehicle being tied to road tax has helped artistes as the system aims to cover public performance royalties for songwriters/publishers.
Recent changes in Zimbabwe statutes of tying road tax to radio licenses have actually lowered these vehicle radio license fees, making it more accessible for these public transport vehicles to legally have music. Those who do not have radios in their vehicles may ask for special exemption from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC). That is the only way they can get away without paying for radio licenses. With the amount of traffic found in Zimbabwe’s roads these days, ZBC has every reason to reduce radio licences. The expenses of chasing after radio and TV licences have been significantly lowered.. They no longer employ people at roadblocks to whom they would pay commission to chase after drivers without radio licences. Their revenue has been increased by the volume of traffic on our roads with drivers of such vehiles compelled to pay for radio licences whether or not that tune in to ZBC..
Yes, commuter omnibuses in places like Zimbabwe generally need licenses and pay fees to play music publicly, but it’s often tied to vehicle licensing with the national broadcaster , although they are not able to separate music performance rights for every song, ZBC should now be in a position to collect radio licensing fees with a lot of ease since anybody with a radio in their car is required to pay radio licence together with road insurance and road tax. That should significantly increase the amount in royalties paid to ZIMURA by ZBC . ZIMURA had better watch this development. With so many cars on our roads all artistes/composers should have higher royalties If the distribution is done fairly. The music fee is often part of the general business/vehicle license paid to authorities like ZBC which in turn pays ZIMURA for public use of radio/music.
So, while commuter omnibuses, mushikashikas and other transport vehicles aren’t paying per song, they are paying a fee to the licensing body as part of their operation to legally play music for passengers.
ZIMURA now has a new cash cow.: ZBC collects for them. They should also reduce their amount of licensing inspectors.
Yes, radio stations pay to play music, but the system is complex, primarily involving blanket licensing fees to performance rights. . Radio Stations pay large blanket licenses for the right to play music.
ZIMURA collects these fees and distribute performance royalties to songwriters and music publishers, who own the composition copyright.
Everyone , despite free music coming from platforms such as YouTube and Spotify should learn to pay for music. It is the job of the artist to entertain you and they must be paid for that job.
Streaming was way more than just a tech upgrade. It completely rewired how we connect with music.
And that unprecedented access changed the game. We don’t really listen to albums from start to finish anymore, do we? Instead, we bounce between algorithm-generated playlists, curated moods, and those never-ending artist radio stations. Music discovery, once in the hands of radio DJs and record store clerks, now belongs to complex algorithms that learn our tastes with scary accuracy.
As you can see, it’s not just about the huge user bases. The financial growth in just a few years has been staggering.
This new reality has huge implications for how music in the media is picked and heard. With millions of tracks just a click away, the fight for a listener’s attention is brutal. A song has to grab you instantly, whether it’s in a commuter omnibus, TikTok video, a Netflix show, or a car commercial.
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