Storytel and TONO have entered into Norway's first agreement on payment for music in an audiobook streaming service. The agreement opens up a new revenue stream for music creators.
/ 06/02/2026 / Kristian DugstadOn the eve of 2025, Storytel and TONO signed a licensing agreement regarding payment for music used on Storytel's platform.
The Norwegian-Swedish service, owned by Storytel AB and Cappelen Damm, is Norway's largest provider of streaming audiobooks. The music deal is TONO's first licensing agreement for a pure audiobook service.
– After several years of work, it is a pleasure to put in place the first agreement for a new revenue area. We work every day to ensure that music creators get paid when their music is used, and now they also get it from the leading audiobook service in the country, says Stig Sætre.
He has led the work and negotiations with Storytel on behalf of TONO's media department.
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Storytel was established in Norway in 2014 and is currently the country's largest audiobook streaming service. They offer over 900,000 audiobook titles to their subscribers.
– Music gives our audiobooks an extra dimension, and it is both right and important that those who create this music also get paid. This agreement with TONO is a breakthrough, and we hope it can contribute to clear and fair frameworks for the entire industry, says Ole Werring, CEO of Storytel Norway.
In January, TONO received the first usage reports from Storytel. This is the starting point for calculating the payments, which will be made during the year.
TONO continues its work on landing agreements with the other providers of audiobook streaming in Norway, and hopes that the Storytel agreement can become a starting point for similar agreements.
– It is important that we have reached an agreement with the largest player in the market. With this agreement in place, it will be easier to meet other services with clear framework conditions, says Sætre.
TONO was founded in 1928 and is a non-profit cooperative owned and managed by composers, lyricists and music publishers. TONO manages the economic copyrights in their musical works and grants licenses for the use of protected music in public for a fee. TONO's financial results are transferred to rights holders in music that has been performed publicly in Norway and abroad. TONO has more than 44,000 members and also represents millions of international authors. In 2024, TONO paid out NOK 741.7 million to rights holders at home and abroad.
Storytel is one of the world's largest audiobook services with more than one million titles globally. Storytel AS is the Norwegian part of the company and is owned 50/50 by Cappelen Damm and Storytel Sweeden AB.