Incorporated in 1984 and operating since January 1985, COTT administers the public performance, broadcasting, communication to the public, mechanical reproduction and synchronisation rights granted by law to the creators and owners of original music.

COTT is the premier collecting society for composers and for the protection of musical works in Trinidad and Tobago. It is also the leading collecting society in the Caribbean region (by income and administrative expertise), and is a founding member of the Caribbean Copyright Link (CCL), the umbrella body for the collecting societies in the Caribbean.

COTT is also a member of International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) and is recognised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

The 23-year-old organisation is also the only one in the history of the Trinidad and Tobago music industry to consistently host music awards which focus exclusively on the persons who create music.