Royalty Distributions
We pay royalties to the music authors, composers and music publishers who are our members. We make distributions to our members four times a year.
For more information on how the distributable amount is calculated, see the Royalties page.
Payment dates 2024
Distribution calendar and sources of royalties
You can also open our payment calendar and examine exactly when transfers are made and from what source the royalties have been collected.
The sharing of royalties and the distribution rules
Teosto’s distribution rules and the appendix regarding the distribution categories define the principles on the basis of which we distribute the royalties we collect for music use to music authors. The decisions on the distribution rules are made by Teosto’s General Meeting, i.e. the authors and publishers themselves decide how the money is shared.
The authors of the work decide on the royalty shares for work within the limits set out in the Distribution Rules. More information and examples of royalty shares can be found on the Registering Your Works page.
The author and publisher agree on the royalty share to be distributed to the publisher when entering into the publishing agreement. If the work has several authors, the publisher will only receive the agreed on royalty share from the royalties of the author with whom the publisher has an agreement.
The minimum amount paid out in the distribution is EUR 25. If the amount of royalties accumulated is less than the distribution limit, the distribution will be postponed until the distribution limit is exceeded. The royalties will be distributed once the limit of EUR 25 is exceeded.
Expedited distribution for large concerts (major live concert)
For considerably large concerts, Teosto can pay royalties to music authors and publishers faster than usual if they apply in advance for expedited distribution called major live concert distribution.
In major live concert distribution, only the performing right royalties corresponding to the ticket revenue of the concert will be paid. The processing excludes, for example, royalties distributed for background music as funds transfers. This means that major live concert distributions will be smaller than distributions done using the normal process.
See the “Important additional information” menu below for the terms and instructions for express mega processing.
Important additional information
When you become a Teosto member, please update your tax information in our web service. After your first year as a member, we will receive your withholding rate directly from the Tax Administration at the beginning of each tax year. The new tax rates are updated automatically in our web service from 1 February each year.
For instructions for updating the tax information, see the Earned income section.
Income certificate or VAT receipt for royalties paid by Teosto
The Tax Administration’s Incomes Register has largely replaced separate income certificates, which means that you will no longer need Teosto to provide you with a separate certificate of the royalties paid to you by us.
The Tax Administration’s Incomes Register provides unemployment funds, Kela, insurance companies, pension providers, the Tax Administration, employment funds and many other parties with information about the royalties and financial support paid by Teosto to its members.
If you need to submit an income certificate to a party that does not receive information directly from the Incomes Register, you can print out your own Income Register extract directly from the Incomes Register page for private individuals.
If you need information about the period for which the royalties have been paid to you as an attachment to your Incomes Register extract, you can see this information in our web service in the Paid Royalties section under the Remuneration tab.
On the above-mentioned Paid Royalties page, companies that are in the VAT register can print a document of royalties paid that also includes a VAT itemisation.
In some cases, distributions may also be made retroactively. For example, radio and TV channels and live performers regularly report information about works performed by them to us. The works reported in performance reports are recorded in an international database.
If works by an author with the same name as yours are found in the international database, you will receive a checklist of these works when you become a Teosto member. The checklist for the works includes the title of the work and the work number. You will also receive instructions on what to do if you find your own works on the list.
Royalties for music on television and radio may be paid retroactively for the year when you joined Teosto and for the two preceding years.
Royalties for gigs and concerts may be paid for the year when you joined Teosto.
For considerably large concerts, Teosto can distribute the performing right royalties it has collected to the rightholders of the works faster than usual if the below criteria are met and the music author or a party authorised by them (e.g. the publisher) applies for major live concert service in advance.
Major live concert processing criteria (all criteria must be met)
- The concert is an individual concert, not a festival performance, for example.
- You, as the music author, or your group is the main artist of the concert.
- A total of 60 per cent of the works you or your group perform at the concert are your own works. For example, if you perform 20 works, of which you are a composer or lyricist in 12 works, this criterion is met.
- You estimate that the performing right royalties invoiced by Teosto from the concert organiser amount to more than EUR 15,000. To help you estimate this, you can use the Event Licence price calculator (in Finnish). Select Konsertti tai festivaali (Concert or festival), estimate the number of attendees and enter the ticket price).
- Concerts that are likely to have an invoicing of more than EUR 15,000 include concerts organised in the open air or in large concert halls (Olympic Stadium, Nokia Arena, Ratina Stadium, ice halls, etc.).
If the criteria are met, proceed as follows
- Send the information below by e-mail to Teosto to the address omateosto@teosto.fi at the latest one (1) month before the concert
- Date and place of the concert (city/town/municipality and venue)
- Name and contact details of the concert organiser (the name and address of the company/organisation, the name and contact details of the contact person)
- List of works to be performed at the concert
When we invoice the performing right royalties from the concert organiser, we will notify you whether the limit of EUR 15,000 has been exceeded.
When you receive a notification that a major live concert distribution is possible, submit a performance notification in the web service as soon as possible, stating the works you have performed at the concert. The planned setlist you gave in the application is not sufficient – we will need an actual performance notification.
We will distribute the royalties no later than within 28 days of the date when the concert organiser has paid the performance right royalty invoice AND when you have submitted the final performance notification in the web service. Teosto’s administrative expenses, which are deducted from the distribution, are at the maximum 15 per cent.
A total of 90 per cent of the royalties are paid on the repertoire of the main artist and 10 per cent on the repertoire of supporting artists. Distributions to supporting artists are paid according to the normal distribution schedule, not expedited.
PLEASE NOTE! If you submit an application for an expedited distribution with incomplete information or later than one (1) month before the concert, we cannot process your application and the royalties for the concert will be distributed according to our normal distribution schedule. In this case, there is also no right to submit a complaint about the refusal of major live concert distribution.
More information about major live concert distributions: Section 4.2.1.1.2 of the distribution rules and TABLE 2 related to major live concerts on page 9 of the distribution category list.
If you notice any omissions or errors in your distribution, you can submit a complaint. We process complaints in the order of their arrival and try to process them as soon as possible.
Our distributions also include royalties collected for works with incomplete author information. We have received performance notifications concerning the works, but not all of the authors of the works (e.g. composers, lyricists) have been identified.
Below you will find a list of works for which royalties have accrued but could not be paid in part or in full.
Instructions for reading the list:
- For works marked entirely in black, the work notification may be missing.
- For works highlighted in different colours, the distributions for unidentified authors could not be paid.
If you find your work on the list:
If you find your work on the list, please send us the correct work information by e-mail to omateosto@teosto.fi. The required information includes:
- The work number and title that can be found on the list of unidentified works
- The correct name of the work and author names as they have been stated in the work notification
If you have not yet submitted a work notification for the work on the list, please submit a work notification as well.
Information about new published agreements must be reported to Teosto at the latest on
- 5 January when distribution is expected for the work in the March distribution
- 1 April when distribution is expected for the work in the June distribution
- 20 July when distribution is expected for the work in the September distribution
- 10 October when distribution is expected for the work in the December distribution
New publishing companies must become Teosto members three months before the next distribution date.
New publishing agreement information and work notifications must be submitted according to the above schedules.
As our member, you can receive royalties when your work is performed or recorded as an audio or AV recording. Register your works and report performances on our online service.
When you are a Teosto member and your music is performed in public or recorded (audio or AV recording), you will receive royalties for the use of your music through us.
Music authors can be freelancers, entrepreneurs or something in between. Some of our members also have a music publishing company. If you have any questions regarding taxation or revenue models, please check the link below.