Insider Spotlight
IPOPHL recently held a public consultation for its Toolkit for Filipino Musicians on Managing Copyright, a planned resource designed to explain core copyright principles and strengthen artists’ capacity for intellectual property management.
Why it matters
The initiative comes at a pivotal time for Original Pilipino Music, with Filipino music content on Spotify growing fourfold over the past five years and homegrown acts such as BINI and SB19 attracting wider international attention.
As more creators and listeners turn to legitimate digital streaming platforms, the need for stronger copyright awareness and rights management has become more urgent.
What happened
The consultation was conducted as part of FlipMusic Productions Inc.’s consultancy engagement with IPOPHL for the Toolkit for Musicians project under the Copyright Plus Program.
According to IPOPHL, the session gathered insights rooted in real industry experiences to ensure the toolkit reflects the language, practices and day-to-day realities of contemporary Filipino musicians and music artists.
Participants flagged persistent gaps in knowledge, especially among newer artists who may sign recording deals without fully understanding contract terms, music ownership, revenue streams and rights protection.
Zoom in
The consultation also showed that even established musicians face challenges in administration, royalty collection and understanding the role of collective management organizations, which can serve as one-stop shops for managing and enforcing artists’ IP rights.
The broader takeaway from the discussions was the industry’s need for a practical and comprehensive guide.
“This toolkit is part of our broader effort to cultivate a more enabling and future-ready IP ecosystem for the Philippine music industry. By grounding policy support in the real experiences of our creators, we ensure that our interventions are responsive, inclusive, and aligned with how the industry actually works,” IPOPHL acting Director General Nathaniel S. Arevalo said in a press statement on March 12, 2026.
What they’re saying
Jeli Mateo, chief executive officer of FlipMusic, envisioned the toolkit to be an “evolving document,” assuring participants that the consultation will ensure that the toolkit will be more responsive “and lead to the creation of a resource that is not only informative but genuinely useful for artists at different stages of their careers.”
Dr. Fernan R. Dizon, officer-in-charge assistant director of IPOPHL’s Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights, said the project could help in “strengthening copyright awareness, promoting responsible rights management and supporting sustainable and thriving careers in the Philippine music industry.” —Vanessa Hidalgo | Ed: Corrie S. Narisma
