Sal Priadi's Story Unexpectedly Receives Royalty of Rp 114 Million from WAMI

"Yes, Alhamdulillah I registered with WAMI. I think this is also to collect royalties according to our obligations and rights as musicians and songwriters, so I am just making an effort to obtain my rights," said Sal Priadi when met in the Kemang area, South Jakarta, on Monday (21/7/2025).

Although he now officially has Rp 114 million, Sal admitted that he did not expect to receive such an amount. He revealed that his membership status in WAMI has only been active for a few months, so he does not have a clear picture of the potential income he would receive.

"No (I didn't expect it), because I just registered five or six months ago, so I don't really know what the range is. Once the number came out, we just grateful," he said.

This experience encouraged him to emphasize the importance of the role of collective institutions and music publishers to his fellow musicians. According to him, after a song is completed and widely recognized, there is an administrative process that must not be overlooked. He also advised songwriters not to just let their works go unprotected.

"Yes, I think it's also important to have publishing as a songwriter. Because as songwriters, after we finish making a song, we just let the song become famous or even played by others," he explained.

Sal also emphasized that musicians do not need to go through this alone, as there are many professional parties that can help. The collaboration between him as a member of WAMI and support from his music publisher, Sony Music Publishing, is the key to his success. He explained the importance of this synergy.

"There are administrative processes that we can do as songwriters. With help from friends like, for example, Sony Music Publishing, and then collaborating with WAMI, that is a very important administrative process to ensure we receive the appropriate rights," he said.

When asked which song contributes the most to his royalties, Sal strongly suspects that one of his biggest hits plays a significant role. Although he has not yet seen a detailed report from WAMI, he is confident that the song has made a substantial contribution to his passive income.

"I haven't read the complete royalty report on which songs contribute, but of course, if we look at the streaming, the song 'Gala Bunga Matahari' contributes significantly to the royalties," he said.

The positive effects of 'Gala Bunga Matahari' don't stop there. The song's popularity has also directly increased stage demand, leading him to perform in various cities and boosting his income.

"One of the biggest songs on this album is 'Gala Bunga Matahari'. Of course, this song makes people want to see me perform it live in many cities, for example, I can go to cities I've never visited before. Naturally, the conversion to live performances also increases my income because of that. So that's what I feel," he concluded.