TONO and the Norwegian Music Council have not agreed on a new framework agreement for performing groups in voluntary music life. This means that 4500 choirs, corps, big bands and orchestras must deal with TONO individually from 1 January 2024 for concert performances of TONO-managed repertoire.
/ 28/09/2023 / Willy MartinsenAfter lengthy negotiations, TONO and the Norwegian Music Council have had to realize that the parties will not reach an agreement on a new central agreement for 4,500 performing arts groups from January 1, 2024. The central point concerns an increase in the size of the payment to composers.
Read questions and answers about TONO and NMR
TONO believes that composers who write for choirs, corps, big bands and orchestras no longer receive reasonable payment under the current agreement, which expires at the end of the year.
– We can reduce prices in framework agreements that save us a lot of administrative work, but cannot continue the heavily discounted agreement we have had with the Norwegian Music Council. Composers are entitled to reasonable remuneration, and in addition, the Act on Collective Management of Copyright requires that TONO treat concert organizers equally. Under the current agreement, the Norwegian Music Council pays an amount equivalent to approximately one thousand kroner annually per team. The agreement we offered, but which the Norwegian Music Council rejected, would mean an increase per team of approximately 350 kroner per year. We believe that this is reasonable for the value that composers add to choirs, corps, big bands and orchestras. This means that from January 1, 2024, the teams must deal directly with TONO and we are now working to complete a new digital solution so that all teams can deal directly with TONO to obtain their concert licenses, says Geir Gaarder, Director of Negotiations at TONO.
The Norwegian Music Council points out that the voluntary music industry, which is rarely compensated for price increases in its subsidies, cannot afford such a large increase.
– We do not have the same muscles as large commercial players. The organizations pay a million-dollar bill every year that TONO wants to increase, on top of high price inflation. In practice, TONO's bill would increase by over 40 percent from 2023 to 2024. That er neither the willingness nor the ability to pay to meet this requirement. It is unfortunate that less music has to be performed because TONO does not see the importance of the undergrowth and the talents that the voluntary music community represents, says Bjørgulv Vinje Borgundvaag, chairman of the Norwegian Music Council
The existing agreement, which expires on December 31, 2023, gives all performing groups a TONO permit, where the Norwegian Music Council pays a total fee for all concerts with ticket sales of up to NOK 50,000. The bill is divided between the organizations that have been affiliated with the agreement. The groups currently do not need to do anything towards TONO to obtain a permit, and only have to report the repertoire performed at the concerts to TONO.
When there will be no new agreement between TONO and the Norwegian Music Council from the new year, each choir, corps, big band and orchestra will have to apply for individual, separate permits for each concert if music that requires a license and payment of remuneration is to be used. The groups must pay TONO according to the ordinary concert tariff and report performed works to TONO. TONO will handle the increased amount of work with the launch of a new digital customer service at TONO.no. TONO is now planning more information measures about this in the future, both for the organizations and the individual performing groups.
TONO was founded in 1928 and is a non-profit cooperative owned and managed by composers, lyricists and music publishers, and which manages the economic copyrights in their musical works. TONO grants permission for the use of protected music on radio, TV, internet, concert, cinema etc. for a fee, and transfers its financial result each year to the rights holders of music that has been performed publicly. TONO has more than 40,000 members, but also works for millions of authors and music publishers from around the world. TONO gives music creators an economic basis to be able to create new music, and collects and simplifies the licensing of protected music to music users. TONO had a turnover of NOK 864,6 million in 2022. www.tono.no
The Norwegian Music Council is a collaborative network and an interest organization for 40 music organizations, which in turn consists of 6630 groups and ensembles. The organizations account for 243,000 memberships within choirs, corps, bands, orchestras, arrangers and professions. The Norwegian Music Council works to ensure better framework conditions for voluntary groups and organizations in the music scene locally, regionally and nationally. The Norwegian Music Council manages public and provides services to member organizations. The Norwegian Music Council works to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to experience and perform music. www.musikk.no
Bjarne Dæhli, Secretary General of the Norwegian Music Council, mob 950 62,358, mailto:bjarne.daehli (a) musikk.no
Geir Gaarder, Negotiation Director at TONO, mob 909 46,976, geir.gaarder (a) tono.no
Willy Martinsen, Communications Director at TONO, mobile 909 65,254, willy.martinsen (a) tono.no