Payments from abroad

Koda is amongst the most active rightowner-societies in the world in our effort to secure our members a correct distribution from abroad. We receive money from abroad and forward the money to our members, we control the received share and ensure that rightowners are correctly identified, we gather information on performances abroad and compare performances with incoming distribution to ensure that foreign rightowner-societies distribute correctly. 

Koda is in close contact with rightowner-societies abroad and work actively on learning about their distribution rules and possible challenges.

Koda does not collect money in other countries. We have entered into agreement with rightowner-societies throughout the world. The individual rightowner-society then collect money from those using music in their country (TV-channels, radio-channels etc.). 

For instance, If your songs are being performed during a concert in Germany, the German rightowner-society, GEMA, collect money from the German concert-arranger. This money is distributed amongst the works on the setlist. GEMA sends money to Koda for any Danish works, and we pass on the full amount to you without any deductions.

No. 

Local radio, local-TV and cable- and satellite-channels are, for instance, often distributed based on samples. In this case you are only entitled to money, if your music has been performed during the sample-period agreed upon by the music-user (radio stations etc.) and the foreign rightowner-society. Music not included in the sample-period is not entitled to money. 

Furthermore, a number of rightowner-societies do not yet pay money for film festivals, commercials or the internet.

Unfortunately, you are not entitled to money for all performances abroad (see separate FAQ on this). But, if you are entitled to money, Koda will not know the amount in advance. 

This is because many issues may influence the amount. If, for instance, your music is performed on a radio channel the amount may depend on duration, the number of listeners, type of music, time of day, type of radio channel. Furthermore, the amount will vary from year to year. 

The foreign rightowner-society itself will often not know the exact amount either, until they know how much music has been performed on the radio channel during a given period. If a radio-channel is distributed yearly, the foreign righowner-society must know how much music has been performed during the entire year, before they can calculate how much money each performance is entitled to.  

It varies. Some rightowner-societies send money to Koda once a year, others send money 3-4 times a year. Usually Koda will receive money 6-18 months after the music has been performed.

One of the reasons it takes such a long time is, that rightowner-societies often need information on the full music-use during a given period, before they can calculate the amount available to individual works.   

No, not necessarily. 

Publishers do not collect money for public performances (performances taking place on TV-stations, radio stations, concert arrangers etc.), and publishers are not involved in the reporting from those using the music and the foreign rightonwer-society. When music is performed abroad, the music-user inform the foreign rightowner-soceity, what music they have performed. If Danish works have been performed, the foreign rightowner-society then send money to Koda, who pay out the money to Kodas members. 

However, reporting from some music users may be flawed, making it difficult for the foreign rightowner-society to identify the music performed. This may lead to you not receiving money for all your performances. Some publishers specialize in tracking public performances of their music and use this information to check their distribution. If they encounter performances which have not received money, they contact the rightowner-society, so the society may check whether the missing distribution is due to a mistake or whether the performance is not entitled to money according to local distribution rules.

If you experience problems with your distribution from abroad, you may consider entering into agreement with such a publisher. But your first step should be to contact Koda. We work actively on securing correct distribution from abroad, and we can contact foreign rightowner-societies on your behalf.

It varies from rightowner-society to rightowner-society, and therefore depends on where your music has been performed. But, normally the claims-period is 3 years after the expected distribution date.

If your music is being performed in 2017 and the foreign rightowner-society would ordinarily distribute in the spring of 2018, we may claim for any missing performances until the spring of 2021.

Nothing. The amount we receive from abroad is passed on to you with no deductions.

If a foreign radio-channel or TV-channel does not have that many listeners/viewers, they do not pay so much money to the foreign rightowner-society for the right to play music. If the foreign rightowner-society has only a small amount available for distribution, they will often make use of samples. This means that for instance a small radio channel may not report all music they perform to the rightowner-society, but only on the music performed during perhaps a few weeks pr. year. Only the music included in the sample receives money. This is called a sample distribution.  

Samples are often used on local radio, local TV and cable- and satellite channels.

No. 

Koda never receives information from foreign music-users on what music they play (foreign radio stations, TV-channels etc.). Foreign music users report only to their local rightowner-society. 

Kodas knowledge of what music is being performed abroad is limited to what Kodas members inform us and what we may buy of performance-data. The purpose of buying data is to check the performance of the foreign rightowner-societies. These checks are made on a sample-basis. The purpose of buying data is not for Koda to have a complete knowledge of Danish performances abroad. This would be too expensive and would to a large extent duplicate the work taking place by the foreign rightowner-societies. It is the foreign rightowner-society who first and foremost must keep track of performances taking place in their country.

You should always send information on your concerts to Koda. Log on to My Koda and report your concert. 

Normally it is not necessary to send information on other performances. We recommend you always check your distribution and contact Koda if you discover mistakes.

Denmark has entered into agreement with a number of countries to ensure that the same income is not taxed twice. If the foreign income is generated in a country with which Denmark has no double taxation agreement there are rules in the law of assessment  § 33 og 33A against double taxation. 

A list of countries with which Denmark has a Double taxation convention can be found here: www.skat.dk. Please contact SKAT if you have any questions.

The agreements rightowner-societies make with one another, stipulate that members of other rightowner-societies be treated equally to the society’s own members. As a member of Koda, your performances in for instance USA, will be dealt with according to the same rules and tariffs, which ASCAP (the American rightowner-society) apply to their own members. You will therefore receive the same amount for a performance in USA no matter whether you are a member of Koda or of ASCAP. This rule is made so you do not need to become a member of each individual society.

In some circumstances it may be relevant to change your membership (or get a split-membership), for instance, if you are moving to another country or receive most of your money from one country. Ask Koda for advice if in doubt.

Koda has entered into agreement with 82 rightowner-societies covering most of the world. The countries with which we have no agreement are primarily in the Middle East and Central- and Southeast Asia, where there are no rightowner-societies.

If your music is being performed in a country, where Koda has no agreement, you receive no money via  Koda for your performances.

Yes, Koda has an agreement with JASRAC in Japan and KOMCA in South Korea. 

Koda paid both societies a visit in 2015, in order to learn more about their rules, and ensure we receive correct distribution when Danish music is being performed.