TONO Chairman Tom Hugo Hermansen and the rest of TONO's board have today taken immediate action to address the criticism of TONO that has appeared in the media over the past week. (Photo: Anne Valeur)
– The board and I want a TONO that is easier to get involved in, and influence, for all members. We also want to look at how we can use the administrative resources in TONO and in the group associations smarter, so that we can create more activity for the members for less cost, writes TONO's chairman Tom Hugo Hermansen in his comment on the media criticism.
/ 17/06/2026 / Willy MartinsenBy: Chairman of TONO, Tom Hugo Hermansen
(The text is written as a response to Aslak Klever's post in Ballade.)
I was elected TONO Chairman last week. It is a position I take very seriously, and like everything I do – I go all in. Because we have some big challenges ahead of us. But what is certain is that without collective management we are all weaker.
I know what it's like to be a young music maker who feels like my work style and genre aren't taken seriously. I also know that songs that are considered too weird the day they're developed can become export success livelihoods in the future. And I also know a bit about the importance of sound financial management in building sustainable companies.
The board and I want a TONO that is easier for all members to engage in and influence. We also want to look at how we can use the administrative resources in TONO and in the group associations smarter, so that we can create more activity for members at less cost.
At the same time, many of us believe that retaining the expertise in the group associations, and the systems that work, is the best solution.
But often you don't know the most yourself. That's why I want a TONO that listens to our members, and at the same time brings in external expertise where needed. And we need input from managers like you, Aslak.
The board and administration are working hard to make TONO a modern and cost-effective manager of rights holders' assets.
But since TONO also manages a cultural capital that provides returns in the form of increased cohesion, living cultural heritage, and a richer society, cultural funds are deducted from the income collected here at home on behalf of rights holders in TONO and sister societies such as the Swedish STIM. These percentages (which are not deducted from income from streaming services such as Spotify or other income from abroad) are, as is known, to ensure that different forms of work and genres can contribute to increased value.
Not just in terms of money, and not just in the short term. For all the big ones have been small, and many popular ones were once quirky.
We cannot avoid the fact that there are different views on how much should be drawn here. As is known, it is the annual meeting that determines the framework, but the board wants the best possible solutions within these.
I have asked for input into the improvement work from both you and other non-organized licensees, and you have had a standing invitation for a chat since I was elected as chairman. But I am not known for giving up easily, so I will say it again:
Let's have a coffee, Aslak!