As a TONO member, you earn money from your music – income you would otherwise miss out on. TONO's core business is to collect payment for the public use of music, and pay it on to you who created the music. That's probably the main reason you're a member – or considering becoming one.
We have agreements with music users all over Norway – from shops, cafes and hair salons to concert venues, streaming services, TV channels and more. We also have collaboration agreements with sister societies all over the world. This means that you also get paid when your music is used abroad.
TONO pays out four times a year – usually in March, June, September and December. Exact dates may vary slightly from year to year.
Here are some areas you can get paid from.
All streaming services must pay songwriters to use their music.
The stream's total revenue from subscriptions is distributed between the streaming services, master owners (record labels/artists) and creators (songwriters/composers).
If you release your music yourself through digital distribution services (so-called distro services), you receive the recording fee directly. If you have also written the music, you are entitled to the songwriter fee – and you receive it through TONO.
All TONO members get paid when their music is played on services like Spotify, Tidal, and Apple Music.
Remember: Always register the song in TONO's system before it is released on streaming services – otherwise you could miss out on revenue.
The artist on stage often receives a fee for the work – but the songs played are the very basis of the concert. Therefore, the organizer must have a TONO license and pay for the use of the music.
It is common for not all songwriters to be on stage themselves. TONO ensures that Whoever wrote the songs gets paid.
If you are both an artist and a songwriter, you are entitled to two different types of payment – and you receive the songwriter's share through TONO.
Remember: Submit a concert report via the member portal Mitt TONO after each concert, so that we know which songs were played.
Norwegian radio and TV channels use large amounts of music every single day – and are among TONO's most important customers.
Every time a song you've written is played on the radio or TV, you get paid. How much you get depends on the channel's listenership or viewership, among other things.
Have you also recorded and released the music yourself? Then you will also have paid as a musician and for the recording rights as a master owner. Read more on gramo.no
Today, many people discover and listen to music on social media.
TONO has agreements with platform owners such as Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google (YouTube) and TikTok, ensuring that you get paid when your music is used there.
Video streaming has exploded in recent years, and many people watch movies and series via services such as Netflix, MAX, Disney+ and Amazon Prime and many, many more.
If your music is used in a film or series on these services, you will be paid through TONO.
Norway is a small country in an international context, but the music you create here at home can also be successful beyond national borders.
If your music is exported abroad, you can feel confident about getting paid as a TONO member.
In most countries around the world there are organizations like TONO. Through agreements with each other we also represent each other's members in our home countries and territories, in addition to our own members. You can think of it as an international network where everyone takes care of each other's music.
We have agreements with almost 100 such organizations, covering almost the entire world. All of them are also members of the umbrella organization CISAC, which has created a common set of rules.
As a TONO member, your music is managed by, for example, PRS in the UK, ASCAP in the USA, GEMA in Germany and KOMCA in South Korea.
You will find a complete overview of our partners and the territories they cover. here..
As a TONO member, your career as a music creator is digital. The most important services and features you need to manage your membership can be found in the member portal My TONO.
In 2025 and 2026, TONO will carry out a major upgrade of our digital services. This means a new and improved My TONO, with new features and a better user experience – to make being a TONO member even easier and better in the years to come.
Here are some of the most important and basic features for you as a member.
All musical works you create must be registered in TONO.
Always register the music as quickly as possible – and preferably before it is played in public.
A song registration in TONO only requires a few pieces of information: Title, playing time and the names of those who created the music and/or lyricsThat is: who owns the work and should have paid when it is used.
TONO does not decide who should have shares in a work, or how the shares should be distributed. Remember that a work registration is binding and cannot be changed unless all registered rights holders agree.
We do not need audio recordings, text or sheet music of the work.
If your music is recorded, you can voluntarily enter one or more ISRC codes as part of the registration. Read more about ISRC codes here.
Register your music on m.tono.no/login now!
The artist on stage often receives a fee for the performance itself – but the songs that are played are the very foundation of the concert.
Therefore, everyone who organizes concerts must have a TONO license and pay to use the music.
I My TONO you can easily create and submit a digital concert report.
Submit the report as soon as possible after the concert. The longer it goes on, the more difficult it becomes for TONO's marketing department to collect the money.
The deadline for submitting concert reports is today. 2 years after the concert took place.
TONO pays out money to members four times a year – usually in March, June, September and December.
Every time you get paid, you also get an overview of which musical works you are paid for and where the income comes from.
Always check your payout carefully.
TONO relies on information from both members and customers, and errors may occur.
If you believe you are missing a payment for music usage that you know has occurred, please contact us as soon as possible after the payment and we will investigate the matter.
The membership department is here for you, and is ready every day to answer questions. Our most important task is to make your TONO membership as simple and seamless as possible, so you can concentrate on what matters – creating music.
We quickly answer most questions and help you with practical challenges related to your membership and our services.
We have a short response time and aim to resolve most inquiries within one business day.
You can reach us by phone. 22 05 72 80 or e-mail medlem@tono.no.
For more complex questions or needs that are not resolved as quickly by phone or email, we offer personal guidance.
As a member, you can book a one-on-one conversation with TONO – either physically in Oslo or via video. We also have a regular presence in several major cities in Norway, and are happy to meet when we are nearby.
TONO also currently has a presence in Los Angeles, USA, to provide information and contact related to the American music market, sessions and contact with local players.
Get in touch at medlem@tono.no to schedule a one-on-one conversation or questions related to TONO's presence in the United States.
TONO sends out general newsletters to members four times a year, with articles, videos and podcasts - for your benefit and inspiration.
In addition, you will receive separate mailings when you receive a payment from TONO, or when we have something important to inform you about that is relevant to your membership.
We also produce useful and inspirational content throughout the year. Feel free to follow us on Instagram and TikTok, listen to the podcast The Music Makers, and visit TONO news at tono.no to stay up to date on music rights and life as a songwriter.
TONO wants to help you as a member get the most out of both your rights and your membership. The music industry is complex, and music rights are an extensive field of knowledge. Through courses, masterclasses and member meetings, we provide you with both basic and advanced information.
Every year, the membership department holds a wide range of lectures and courses. We regularly visit high schools, folk high schools and higher education institutions with music-related fields of study.
We also hold open lectures for members and music creators who are considering becoming a member. TONO regularly travels and gives lectures in several places around the country. In addition, we have digital live broadcasts and recorded lectures, so you can always get a basic introduction to TONO and music rights – no matter where you are, or when it suits you.
Do you know of a place or institution where TONO should give a lecture? Contact us at medlem@tono.no.
There are many factors that influence where and how you make money from your music – and not all of them are under our control at TONO.
That's why we regularly arrange masterclasses with outside expertise, to give you tools and insights that can strengthen you in your role as a music creator.
Topics can range from how to plan a tour, how to get started with music to advertising, or how to take care of your physical and mental health in a demanding industry.
Follow us on our social media channels and on TONO.no for information about upcoming masterclasses.
Meet other songwriters, make contacts and gain new knowledge! TONO regularly arranges member meetings – either open to all members in various locations around the country, or in connection with industry meetings such as Trondheim Calling, Wild Wild West or city:Larm.
Follow us on our channels and on TONO.no for information about upcoming membership meetings.
Different members have different needs. Someone who creates music for film and TV may have completely different needs than a contemporary composer, a manager for a pop producer or a music publisher.
That's why we organize regular member forums for groups with special interests or needs. The forums provide both useful information and opportunities for dialogue, so that we can improve and adapt to our members' everyday lives.
We currently have the following member forums:
Publishers Forum (for music publishers)
AV forum (for music for audiovisual productions such as film, television, games and advertising)
Manager forum (for managers of TONO members)
Get in touch at medlem@tono.no if you want to be on the invitation list for one or more of the forums.
One of TONO's statutory tasks is to stimulate innovative musical creation. One way we do this is through our scholarship schemes.
Here you can read about the two scholarships we offer. During the application period each spring, you will find the application form in the member portal. My TONO.
All TONO members can apply for the TONO scholarship.
The scholarship jury prioritizes applicants who earn an average of at least NOK 5,000 through TONO per year.
The application period is usually a period of x–six weeks in March and April. Application form is available in the member portal. My TONO during this period.
You can read more about the TONO scholarship. here..
Young Talents is a separate scholarship scheme for those of you who are between 17 and 23 years.
The age criterion is linked to year of birth, and is adjusted annually. There is no income requirement through TONO to apply for this scholarship.
The application period is usually a period of x–six weeks in March and April. Application form is available in the member portal. My TONO during this period.
You can read more about Young Talents here..
As a TONO member, you have the opportunity to purchase products and services at a discounted price from a selection of suppliers that are relevant to music creators. You can read a little about these in the overview. As a TONO member, you will find information on how to activate your membership benefits (discount code, etc.) by logging into My TONO.
Fiken is designed to make it easy for you to do your own accounting. This includes, among other things:
Fiken offers favorable discounts to TONO members.
Hantek Audio offers TONO members great discounts on ACS Pro molded earplugs, universal earplugs, all ACS in-ear monitors and accessories. In addition, you get a favorable fixed price for earmolds performed at Hantek.
The agreement includes:
Go to Hantek's website for more info.
D2 Merch has been supplying merch and backdrops to artists all over the country for many years. D2Merch offers both large and small productions at very competitive prices and is Norway's best certified and climate-friendly merch supplier. Since 2019, the supplier has worked with artists such as Kaizers Orcherstra, Kvelertak, HIGHASAKITE, MODS, Stavangerkameratene and Skambankt to name a few. One of the few merch companies that has its own printing plant in Norway.
The offer from D2 Merch to Tono members includes:
Website: www.d2merch.no / artist portal www.d2shop.no
Lydmuren was founded in 1997 and today our main focus is mastering, digital distribution and production of CD and Vinyl. Many of the country's leading artists and their record labels have used our services. Since its inception, Lydmuren has been one of the country's leading mastering studios.
Lydmuren's newly developed tools for digital distribution will, among other things, give our artists a unique overview of the streaming of their own music, and efficient billing.
Lydmuren offers great discounts to TONO members on both mastering and printing of CDs and vinyl.
Visit Lydmuren's website for more information about CD og vinyl.
With Masterchannel, every song sounds professional – whether in the car, with headphones or at the club. Thanks to the latest AI technology, Masterchannel optimizes the sound quality of music to meet common market and streaming standards. Artists can easily upload their music to masterchannel.ai and get a professionally mastered version within minutes.
Masterchannel provides favorable discounts to TONO members.
Visit masterchannel.ai for more information.
TONO House is in Kongens gate 12 in Kvadraturen in Oslo – only 500 meters from Oslo Central Station and 300 meters from the Storting. The building will become a gathering place and resource for TONO members.
Here it will be songwriting room which can be booked by all TONO members. In addition, there will be lounge areas, event spaces and workplaces for members. Opening is planned for early 2026.
The rest of the building consists of office space for music organizations. In addition to TONO, NOPA, Norwegian Composers' Association, The music publishers og Gramo their offices here.
The TONO building will have four songwriting rooms. Two rooms on the ground floor (U1) and two rooms on the top floor (6th floor). The two on the 6th floor will be built as room-in-room and are acoustically treated so that they can be used for mixing, among other things.
The rooms will be available to all TONO members, and will be able to booked digitally through My TONO.
Opening is planned for early 2026.
There will be more social zones in the TONO house.
In connection with the songwriting rooms on the ground floor and on the 6th floor, there will be areas that are primarily for TONO members who have an active room booking at any time.
In addition, there will be other common areas that are occasionally available to members.
The TONO house will be a living house, filled with music. The common areas are flexible and adapted for small showcase concerts og events.