TONO is requesting all Norwegian cinemas' ticket revenues for 2019. The figures provide the basis for this year's invoices.
/ 16/01/2020 / Kristian DugstadThere are just under 200 cinemas in Norway. These have annual ticket revenues ranging from 5000 kroner to several hundred million.
Anyone who makes music publicly available must have an agreement with TONO. For every ticket sold, Norwegian cinemas therefore pay one percent to TONO.
– This is how TONO can ensure that composers, lyricists and music publishers at home and abroad get paid for the music used in cinema films, says Thor Christensen in TONO's Online Media department.
Every year, Christensen invoices the country's cinemas based on the previous year's box office revenue. All Norwegian cinemas have now received a request to submit their results for 2019.
– The figures are the basis for the invoices we send out to cinemas for 2020. The smallest cinemas receive the entire TONO fee on one invoice, while the larger ones receive two or four during the year.
As TONO invoices in advance based on last year's figures, it will always be necessary to make small adjustments when the figures are ready.
– When revenues are higher than expected, we invoice the difference. When they are lower than expected, we refund the difference.
Cinemas are asked to send TONO their ticket revenues for 2019 (excl. VAT) to thor.christensen@tono.no by January 31st.
A large number of cinemas have already submitted their final results for 2019. Christensen is recording these on an ongoing basis.
– TONO's revenue from cinemas will end up at approximately NOK 12 million for 2019. Many cinemas have had slightly lower ticket revenues than estimated, and will be reimbursed the difference in February.
He took over responsibility for the cinema area in 2010. Over the past decade, they have remained very stable.
– Our income from the area generally fluctuates between 11 and 13 million kroner a year. The variations simply depend on how good the cinema year is. It can be affected by everything from the World Cup to the summer weather, he says.
TONO members who have rights to works used in films released in 2019 can expect settlement in June 2020.
TONO encourages film producers to send music cue sheets to oystein.haugland@tono.no as early as possible in a production. This does not mean that the producers will pay compensation, but is necessary for TONO to be able to distribute funds correctly.
