A TONO that develops for and with its members

– We believe that we succeed best when we are close to our members, writes TONO CEO Karl Vestli in his editorial in the post-Christmas winter newsletter.

• new

 / 20/02/2026 / Karl Vestli

Dear members and partners,

As usual, the TONO office has been busy in the first months of 2026. We have completed an extensive and demanding process of changes to the billing model. The work on the model and its introduction have generated great interest both among the membership and in the media, including VG and Morgenbladet. Some are concerned about lower billings, others believe the changes should have come earlier. Debate is natural, and we have tried to contribute to clarification in two comments on tono.no, which you can read here. og here..

At the same time, we know that many people still find both the scheme and the consequences unclear, and this tells us that we have not communicated the changes well enough. We will make this clear in future settlement documents, and we ask that you contact us if you are unsure of what this means for the individual.

Deferred settlement in certain areas

These days we are introducing a completely new IT system for settlement. This is the very engine in our process of finding the right repertoire and rights for the license income, in other words the right money for the right rights. The name of the system is apt; “Matching Engine”. Because we are settling for the first time in a new system, we have to be extra careful to be sure that the settlement is correct. Therefore, in March we will only settle for radio, TV and cinema, as well as abroad. Payments for music and film streaming and concerts are postponed. We aim to pay for music streaming in April. What is not settled in March will be settled in June.

Large TONO and Gramo invoicing

In December, the first phase of joint invoicing with Gramo began. In March, many thousands of background music customers will receive one consolidated invoice. This makes it easier for customers and more efficient for us. The goal is lower costs and expected higher revenues for both TONO and Gramo rights holders.

Political work

Together with the group associations, TONO works for better framework conditions for the music industry and for better support schemes for composers, songwriters and lyricists. This includes clarifying VAT issues and following up on the report "Musicland".

Member survey and new meeting places

Thank you to the nearly 1700 members who recently responded to our new survey. It gives us valuable insight into the needs of an increasingly diverse membership, from publishers and hit songwriters to contemporary composers and those who write music as a hobby. The results will be presented to TONO's board in early March, and will help guide TONO's future direction.

The TONO studios in Kongens gate 12 opens in May. We look forward to welcoming you to our studios, meeting rooms and workspaces, completely free for members. TONO House is the members' house, and we hope that all members will feel at home here. We look forward to welcoming you.

Artificial intelligence and the way forward

Many members are concerned about the development and spread of AI in our field. We follow AI developments closely. German Gema has sued the AI ​​service Suno, and the verdict is likely to be handed down in March. The case will have major implications for the entire industry. TONO, like the rest of the industry, believes that AI-generated music should also be licensed if the technology is trained on our rights. The principle of fair use and fair remuneration remains unchanged.

TONO should be open, honest and close

We believe that we succeed best when we are close to our members. One of the strengths of collective management is community. Across a diversity of expressions, interests and opinions, we are still strong together, the very idea behind the establishment of our organization in 1928.

This year we want to present our annual and transparency report a month earlier than last year, even before we enter the month of May. In the report, members and other interested parties will find useful and relevant information about our operations, which we hope will help build trust. With early publication, voting members will also have more time to prepare for the annual meeting on June 9.

Karl Vestli
CEO, TONO