Report and Claim Music Usage

What is a claim?

A claim is your notification to us that your music will be or has been used in programs, advertisements, or movies broadcast on foreign TV channels. You should also submit a claim for movies (including short films and documentaries) distributed to foreign cinemas, as well as for series, documentaries, and movies shown on foreign video on demand (VOD) services (e.g., Netflix, HBO) that feature your music. By submitting a claim, we ensure that the foreign copyright organization collects and distributes the royalties for the performance of your music, so we can pay them to you.

You do not need to submit a claim for foreign radio broadcasts or online audio services, as we receive the necessary usage reports from other copyright organizations and streaming platforms.

We send the claims we receive to the copyright organizations in the countries where the performance took place. When sending the claims, we ask the organizations to ensure that the collection and distribution of performance royalties for the works are handled correctly.

We suggest submitting a claim for example

• f you have composed commissioned music for a TV series or a film for broadcast abroad on television, VOD service, or in cinemas
• if you learn that other music you have created has been used in a TV series or film broadcast on a foreign TV channel, VOD service, or in cinemas

For live performances, a performance notification is enough

If you have performed abroad at a gig or a concert, all you need to do is submit a performance notification for your performance. A performance notification is submitted in the Performances section of our web service. You do not need to make a separate claim as we can collect the information required for the request from performance notifications.

For your own performances, ensure that the foreign event organiser provides the event information to the local copyright society. You can ensure this in connection with the performance contract, for example. If a foreign event organiser asks you to submit a foreign performance notification on site, you should nevertheless submit a performance notification in Teosto’s web service, too.

Also submit a performance notification to Teosto if someone else has performed your music abroad at gigs or concerts. For example, a composer can make a performance notification for a foreign orchestra performance of their work. In the performance notification, select Additional information on the performance abroad: My works have been performed abroad by another artist or orchestra and, in addition to other information, also enter Performer name.

Distribution schedule for royalties from abroad

In each country, copyright societies have their own distribution schedule and distribution rules, which vary from country to country. Generally, Teosto receives distributions for performances abroad 6–12 months after the performance. After this, we process the royalties and pay them to you no later than 6 months after we received them. However, it can take up to 1.5–2 years to receive royalties from abroad.  

You can submit claims or complaints about performances abroad up to three years after the performance has taken place. Claims or complaints submitted after that will no longer be processed and royalties cannot be paid on the basis of them.