The new rules that determine how much money you get when your music is performed in different venues are now being implemented. Here's what it means for you.
/ 12/08/2025 / Kristian DugstadNOTE: The information about the transition model in this case is no longer valid after the board's decision to accelerate the introduction of the new settlement model.
In August 2024, TONO's annual meeting adopted new general principles of settlement – overall guidelines for how TONO will calculate rights payments. In the wake of this, TONO has completed a new settlement model that ensures more precise payments of rights money, in line with Norwegian and international legislation.
This model will be phased in over several years, with the first changes coming into effect in September 2025, for presentations in 2025.
Read more: TONO's annual meeting adopted new settlement principles
Read more: TONO board unanimously behind new settlement principles
Read more: Precise settlements and room for maneuver on non-distributable funds
The most fundamental change is that money will now be paid directly to the rights holders who have generated the income, based on usage reports. Where such reports do not exist, a representative reporting basis will be used.
All the same revenues will continue to be distributed, and no money will disappear. However, many members will experience reduced payments as the new regulations are phased in. This is mainly a consequence of the fact that revenues from areas where we do not receive usage reports today (such as music in stores), and which were previously transferred to payments for concerts and NRK, will now be distributed based on a more representative reporting basis.
On Tuesday, August 19th at 2:00 PM, we will be hosting a digital information meeting for all TONO members. Here, Head of the Settlement Department, Elin Heer, will provide information about the new model in general and the first changes that will come into effect in particular.
No registration is required, and you can find the link to the meeting here.
The new rules are being phased in over the next three years and will be fully implemented in 2029, for payments related to the carry-over year 2028.
The first changes will come into effect when TONO makes payments in September 2025, in week 40. Only payments for broadcasting – i.e. TV and radio – are affected now.
The new model will treat performances within the broadcasting area equally. This is achieved by removing complicated weightings for different uses.
This means, among other things, that you get more than before for performances at night and for program vignettes, and less for live performances.
As mentioned above, income from areas where TONO does not receive usage reports, so-called non-program areas, such as music in stores, restaurants and the like, shall be settled based on a representative reporting basis.
In order to best reflect the music that is actually used in these areas, the revenues are distributed across reports from several different areas. The composition of this reporting basis is adopted each year by TONO's board, based on the best available user data.
In the new settlement model, payment of revenues from non-program areas will come as an additional settlement. This will make it easy for rights holders to distinguish between payment for documented use of their music and money they receive because their music is part of the representative reporting basis.
For more information about both the changes that take effect now and over the next few years, attend the digital information meeting on YouTube on Tuesday, August 19 at 2:00 PM. You can find the meeting here.