Paying the SACEM fee for the staging of a concert, dance or other public event
Last update
The amended law of 18 April 2001 on copyright stipulates that copyright holders must give their approval before their work is reproduced and played in public, and that they must be compensated for such reproduction and use. The SACEM grants such authorisation, and distributes the fees paid by users to the copyright holders of the music played in public.
Whether you are organising a small event with background music, a concert, a dance or a popular festival, you are obliged to inform SACEM, which is the body in charge of collecting copyright fees in Luxembourg.
Depending on the type of event, a flat-rate fee or copyright fee, calculated on the basis of the admission receipts or the performance budget, is payable.
Who is concerned
Any natural or legal person who organises a dance, concert, country festival, village fair or open-air party must inform the SACEM and pay the applicable fee.
Costs
The basic remuneration rate for artistes is 6.41 % of admission receipts. For free events, the copyright fee is 6.41 % of the organiser's performance budget (artistes' fees, sound equipment/engineering costs, etc.).
If the event is declared in advance, the organisers can obtain a 12.5 % discount on the copyright fee.
For all small-scale, free-entry musical events, a flat-rate fee is applied. The amount of the fee depends on whether the event is:
- a free concert;
- a country festival, a summer fête, a village fair or an open-air party, with or without dancing.
How to proceed
Before the event
Before organising a concert, dance or any other musical event, the organiser must fill in an application for authorisation form and return it to the SACEM. In declaring the event, the organiser is required to specify their identity, the date and type of event, the admission price, and the name and address of the band(s), troupe(s), star(s) or other artiste(s) invited to appear.
After the event
The writers, composers and publishers are entitled to remuneration under their copyright. To enable the SACEM to calculate the amount due, the organiser must complete a revenue report and return it by post, fax or e-mail.
After the event, the organiser sends the SACEM a breakdown of the music played, including the means of broadcast, the titles, the nature of the work, and the names of the writers/composers. This enables the SACEM to distribute, to the writers, composers and publishers, the portion of the royalties owing to them.
Online services and forms
Who to contact
-
Society of Music Authors, Composers and Editors (SACEM)
- Address:
- 76-78, rue de Merl L-2146 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 47 55 59
- Fax:
- (+352) 48 02 76
- Email address:
- info@sacemlux.lu
- Website:
- http://www.sacem.lu
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Further information
-
SACEM
Website
-
Music and sport events
on the Sacem Luxembourg website
-
FAQs on copyright for consumers
on the website of the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights
Legal references
-
Loi modifiée du 18 avril 2001
sur les droits d'auteur, les droits voisins et les bases de données
-
Loi du 18 avril 2004
modifiant 1) la loi du 18 avril 2001 sur les droits d'auteur, les droits voisins et les bases de données, et 2) la loi modifiée du 20 juillet 1992 portant modification du régime des brevets d'invention
-
Règlement grand-ducal du 30 juin 2004
concernant les organismes de gestion et de répartition des droits d'auteurs et des droits voisins
