Remunerations through Buma
If you want to have protected music performed in public, you pay a remuneration to Buma. The scale of the usage is important when determining the amount. This is understood to involve not only the number of people who hear the music and how often the music is played, but also the floor area of the location where the music can be heard. This applies e.g. to:
- Stages, such as theatres and event organisations
- SME users, such as shop owners and the hospitality sector
- Other organisations, such as churches, healthcare institutions and clubs/associations
Remunerations via Stemra
Anyone who wants to record music (on image or sound carriers) needs permission from Stemra. This could cover record companies, importers, broadcasters, producers of background music and advertising agencies. Organisations that make promotional materials using media carrying images or sounds also pay a remuneration for this. The commercial interest is important when determining the amount of the remunerations. This could be the size of the production run for the media, the price, or the area over which it is distributed. This applies e.g. to:
Remunerations via Buma and Stemra
Music usage via radio, TV, Internet and new media is a special case, since this involves both making it available to the public and recording it. This is why Buma and Stemra jointly arrange permission for this type of music usage.
Types of music usage
Concerts and events wouldn’t work without music. You play CDs to get the audience warmed up and to keep the right atmosphere during the intervals. If you organise shows, concerts or events, then you pay a remuneration for using music. In principle, this consists of a small percentage of the turnover of the performance or fee or all-in price (the gross amount you pay for the acts, excluding sales tax (BTW)).
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Music can mean a lot for your business. Studies have shown that the right background music increases the turnover. Customers stay longer in bars and restaurants. Clients in shops and other sales areas are encouraged to take the step of making a purchase. Staff members also often feel more at ease, making them more productive in surroundings where there is music. This soon helps you to turn a profit.
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How to pay or use the
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Healthcare institutions, schools, music associations, churches, sports associations, dance schools: music can be heard almost anywhere at one time or another. During a sports tournament or a dance lesson, for example, or a school party or a choir rehearsal. You pay Buma a remuneration for this.
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Producers of audiovisual productions
The right background music is crucial if you want to get your visual message across properly. If you are a producer of commercials, promotional material, documentaries, information films, educational films or movies then you will know this better than anyone. You have to notify Stemra of any musical recordings in your productions.
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There are many reasons for making your own musical production independently. If you are starting your own record label, for example. Or if you play in a band that does not yet have a contract with a record company. If you make a single with an anniversary song for your sports club using the music of a familiar hit, we also call that your ‘own independent production’. If you use the work of others for your production, then that can only be done with permission from Stemra. After paying the copyright reimbursementremuneration, you may make your productions (or have them made) and distribute or sell them.
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Music makes a nice present. Companies enjoy putting a unique CD together, for example, to welcome new customers or to celebrate an anniversary. And music is of course excellent as promotional material or a commercial gift. Many large record companies and smaller specialist companies produce these ‘special products’. If you are the producer, you owe Stemra a remuneration for using the music.
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If you record music on a CD or DVD, then you must have obtain copyright permission from Stemra each time - a rather cumbersome process if you are regularly releasing music. If you are a record company, you can sign an ongoing agreement with Stemra instead. You pay a monthly advance and settle the royalties every six months (in arrears) for all sound carriers sold.
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Music creates the right atmosphere at many public events. This is why companies in the hospitality and retail sectors like to buy CDs, cassettes and digital music files from you. Because this involves mechanical reproduction – the music is recorded on CD, cassette and/or digital media – you need permission from Stemra if you are a producer.
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To import sound carriers that were not released and are not going to be released in the Netherlands, you must make your own agreements with Stemra regarding the music copyright. It may be the case that you have to pay additional remunerations for these import CDs, for example if the reimbursementremunerations made abroad do not cover distribution in the Netherlands and/or Europe. If you regularly import CDs, you can sign an import agreement with Stemra so that the music copyright can be sorted out more simply.
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Without music, your audience would soon be switching channels. It is therefore highly important that your usage of music is properly dealt with. The majority of broadcasters sign agreements about this with Buma/Stemra and often pay a monthly advance and settle the remunerations annually.
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New media such as the Internet and mobile telephony provide music users with numerous options for recording music, playing performing it in public and distributing it. For example, consider:
- Distribution of music: providing complete musical works in music files.
- Simulcasting: distributing your own TV and radio broadcasts simultaneously and unabridged.
- Webcasting: transmission via Internet without involving a standard transmission via satellite, cable or the airwaves. This refers to audio streaming or video streaming, where the Internet surfers are not able to determine the content of the transmission for themselves.
- Background music: music used exclusively to make a website more attractive. The music is not distributed or transmitted.
- Commercials: music in commercial material for promoting a product, service, brand and so forth.
- New media such as a:
o ringtone: a fragment of music used as a call signal for a mobile telephone
o e-card: an electronic greeting card with a fragment of a music recording
o m-card: an electronic greeting card with a spoken message and possibly a fragment of a music recording
o song card: an electronic greeting card with a fragment of a music recording and possibly a spoken message
o voicemail message: a spoken message, possibly with a fragment of a music recording
For more information about rates, please go to
How to pay or use the
licence calculator to work out your payments.
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