www.suisa.ch Latest News

SUISA concludes a licensing agreement with Spotify

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 14:35:00 +0200

Zurich, 4 October 2011 – SUISA has concluded a licensing agreement with Spotify for the Swiss terri-tory. The agreement licenses the Spotify service for users of computers and mobile devices located in Switzerland (Swiss IP addresses).

SUISA welcomes the new arrangement with Spotify. Thanks to Spotify, Swiss music consumers now have an additional authorized source of music for their mobile phones and computers. The agreement signed with SUISA ensures that authors will be paid for the online streaming of their songs and com-positions. SUISA has already concluded agreements with a number of other online music services including iTunes, Amazon, Ex Libris, CeDe and Simfy. Press release

SUISA distributes CHF 117 million to music creators

Sat, 18 Jun 2011 11:57:00 +0200

The General Assembly of SUISA, the Swiss Cooperative Society of Music Au-thors and Publishers, today approved the Society’s 2010 financial statements and elected four new members to its Board. In the reporting year, SUISA’s revenues totalled CHF 142.3mn (CHF 133.2mn in tariff revenues and CHF 9.1mn in secondary revenues).
The excellent concert year and constant broadcasting revenues contributed largely to the good results. Revenues from performance and broadcasting rights, SUISA's main licensing area, reached a record peak of CHF 99.2mn. Revenues from sound carrier licensing declined by 10% to CHF 17.1mn, while income from online music uses increased to CHF 3.5mn. Press Release (PDF)

CISAC appoints Mr. Olivier Hinnewinkel as Director General

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:59:00 +0200

Mr. Hinnewinkel was appointed by the CISAC Board of Directors following the 3rd successful edition of its Worldwide Copyright Summit held in Brussels this week. Born in 1964 and a graduate of the IMD business school in Lausanne, Mr. Hinnewinkel brings extensive experience in international management. For the past five years prior to joining CISAC, Olivier Hinnewinkel was CEO and Managing Director of Eurovision Asia-Pacific. Eurovision is the premier distributor of sports and news content for the world's top broadcast and media platforms. In his various positions with Eurovision Mr. Hinnewinkel has worked on three continents: US, Europe and Asia. He originally joined the organisation in 1996, holding positions of Director of Marketing, Head of Corporate Management and Head of Eurovision Americas.

Kenth Muldin, Chairman of CISAC’s Board of Directors, said, “I'm very pleased to welcome Olivier Hinnewinkel as the Confederation’s new Director General. He has the international experience and personal skills to lead CISAC into the future. The Board is looking forward to working with Olivier on the future strategy for collective management and copyright issues relevant for all CISAC’s members.”

About CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers

Chaired by Robin Gibb, singer and songwriter of the Bee Gees, and visual artist Hervé Di Rosa, CISAC aims to increase both the recognition and protection of creators’ rights worldwide. In a globalised and digital world, CISAC’s main missions are to reinforce the international network of authors’ societies, to be the spokesperson for creators and their societies in all international debates and to reassert authors’ inalienable right to live by their creative work.
With a membership of 229 authors’ societies and guilds in 121 countries, CISAC is an international NGO and represents more than 3 million creators and publishers of artistic works in all genres including music, audio-visual, drama, literature, photography and the visual arts. In 2009, the royalties collected by CISAC's member societies in their respective territories topped €7.152 billion ($9.7 billion).
Besides SUISA further Swiss members of CISAC are ProLitteris, SSA and SUISSIMAGE.

Source: http://www.cisac.org marianne.rollet@who-needs-spam.cisac.org

World Copyright Summit in Brussels, June 7-8, 2011

Mon, 30 May 2011 14:03:00 +0200

A line-up of more than 100 speakers will emphasise the need for constructive dialogue on the importance of copyright protection and the distribution of creative works in the digital era.

Create, Connect, Respect
The slogan for the World Copyright Summit, “Creating value in the digital economy/Create – Connect – Respect”, reflects the three main themes to be addressed during this two-day conference:

Create: the global eco-system for creators and creative industries
Connect: the digital economy and new business models
Respect: authors’ rights and the legislative and social environment

Key issues
Very important pieces of legislation and changes in the fields of copyright, collective licensing and the digital economy are currently being discussed in Brussels and at the global level. Hence the following topics will be addressed:

While the capacity to access content now seems endless and, from a consumer’s perspective, almost free of charge, where and how can value be extracted from the usage and dissemination of content? What models will deliver significant value and remuneration for right-holders? What are the best systems for ensuring that right-holders are properly compensated? The Summit is the ideal platform for discussing these issues in a forward-thinking way with all the stakeholders.

With digital disruption now spreading well beyond the music sector into other creative fields, this topic will furthermore be a primary area of focus for the high-level speakers from all artistic disciplines.

For more information about CISAC’s World Copyright Summit please visit www.copyrightsummit.com

For more information about CISAC, please visit www.cisac.org

About CISAC, the Confédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Auteurs et Compositeurs
CISAC works towards increased recognition and protection of creators’ rights worldwide. CISAC’s main tasks are to strengthen and develop the international network of copyright societies and defend the inalienable rights of creators so as to ensure that they can live from their creative work.
CISAC is a non-governmental organization with a membership of 229 authors’ societies from 121 countries representing around 3 million creators and music publishers within all the artistic repertoires. The total amount of royalties collected by CISAC’s member societies amounted to more than EUR 7,152 billion in 2009. In Switzerland, apart from SUISA, ProLitteris, SSA and SUISSIMAGE are also members of CISAC.

Midem 2011 – lots going on at the Swiss stand

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Although the total number of visitors at 45th Midem declined by 5% to 6,850 this year compared with 7,200 in 2010, the Swiss stand showed a different picture altogether: a record 45 co-exhibitors (34 in 2010) made full use of the platform provided by SUISA and the Fund of phonogram producers for intense networking.

Midem successfully pursued the service orientation it introduced last year, and participants who were well-prepared and who exploited the full programme at the fair went home with significant gains in know-how:
- the MidemNet Lab Competition awarded prizes to start ups in the field of digital music. The winners were Jammbox, Next Big Sound and Shuffler.fm
- MidemNet Academy held workshops on the digital music business
- MidemNet+ offered online music entrepreneurs expert personal consulting services

A wealth of music biz input at:
http://www.midem.com
http://blog.midem.com

Impressions from the Swiss stand

Danilo Moccia honoured with Jazz Prize 2010

Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Danilo Moccia has received the SUISA-Foundation for music's Jazz-Prize during the radio show "JazzZ" on RSR Espace 2 on the 1 December 2010. No question - the prize winner from Ticino did not use the microphone only for the interview but he also took the chance to prove his talent on the trombone in a studio-concert with a five-member band.

More info and link to the radio show

Claiming US Royalties via the ASCAP Awards

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 14:58:00 +0100

Very few SUISA members receive royalty payments from the USA. This is because of the American spot-check system: to keep collection costs as low as possible, US societies only account for larger events, neglecting smaller ones. Moreover, they distribute nearly all the royalties collected to a small number of statistically selected broadcasts.

Every year, ASCAP, the American copyright society, invites the members of its foreign sister societies to participate in the ASCAP International Awards Program, which is designed to enable non American authors to assert their royalty claims. All SUISA members whose works were performed or broadcast in the USA between 1 October 2009 and 30 September 2010 are eligible to participate in the Program.

Neither publishers nor the heirs of deceased members are entitled to royalties. Nor are members who have already received $ 25,000 or more from ASCAP for the same period.

Members who have claims against ASCAP may obtain a participation form from SUISA’s Authors’ Dept.: authors@suisa.ch. The forms must be returned duly completed by 31 December 2010.

Womex 2010

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Switzerland’s strong showing at this year’s fair proves that. In all, 18 companies were represented at the Swiss stand organised by SUISA Foundation for Music in collaboration with the cultural foundation ProHelvetia. The co-exhibiters, who were mainly from the live music scene (bookers, agents, concert and festival organisers), were generally satisfied with the fair which was attended by the main players on the world music scene. The new, compact and centrally located fair facilities received a positive welcome. The cocktail party with Swiss specialties organised at the Swiss stand attracted drew a large crowd and offered an excellent opportunity for networking.

Next year’s Womex will be held for the last time in Copenhagen, from 26 to 30 October 2011. A new location is being sought for 2012.

Impressions from the Swiss stand

Womex 2010

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 18:39:00 +0200

Womex – the world trade fair for world, folk, traditional and ethnic music - will be held in Seville from 27 to 31 October 2010. Switzerland is represented by the SUISA Foundation for Music and Pro Helvetia who have organised a joint stand.

Womex is the unavoidable networking point for world music; alongside the trade fair and its programme of specialised conferences, numerous showcases are open to the general public in the evenings.

www.womex.com

Listen to world music artists whose agents and managers will be attending the Womex

The following artists and companies will be represented at the Swiss stand (67, 68, 92, 103):

Bands, Artists
Djembé Faré
Giampaolo Radicati/Peo Alfonsi
Kayaan
Lariba
Monadelisa

Agents, Booking Agencies, Labels
Attic Independent Production
Claxmusic
Intermusic Network
Latin Wave
Odaras Productions
Suonix Music Group

Festivals, Clubs
Afro-Pfingsten Festival
bee-flat im PROGR
Moods im Schiffbau
Paléo Festival
Stanser Musiktage

Associations/Foundations
Swiss Music Export
SUISA Foundation for Music

The brothers and sisters Baldenweg honoured in Locarno

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 00:00:00 +0200

Through this prize, the jury of the SUISA Foundation for Music has rewarded the Baldenweg brothers and sisters for the emotionally strong musical composition as well as for their courage and commitment. The enactment of the compositional vision was a major logistical and organisational challenge and thus set a new standard for film music in Switzerland.

More information on the film and the composers