Apply for a licence

Apply here for a licence

Any film with music which is produced in Switzerland must be registered with SUISA – this also applies to online films, in-house corporate productions, and graduation films.

Please take into consideration any other relevant rights

Please fill in the following form online and send it back to us. 

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

  • WebTV is a service offering continuous programmes that are not time-delayed. The user cannot influence the programme playback.

    With Video on Demand (VoD), the viewer can choose when to watch a programme: the viewer can start, pause and stop the playback of a programme at any time. Video on Demand also includes videos embedded in websites.

    Video on Demand 

  • Videos and websites presenting the same content in several languages on the same domain qualify as a single video or web presence.

  • In practice, the uploading person will be sent a warning with a request to delete the video or have it deleted. In certain cases, labels may demand damages for the unauthorised online use. In the case of well-known songs, it may not even be possible to obtain permission to upload. With certain providers, the videos are simply deleted. It depends on the individual case, and on the individual provider and rightholder. 

  • SUISA can licence all the rights (mechanical rights, worldwide rights for making available , synchronisation rights, neighbouring rights) in what is known as mood music.  SUISA maintains corresponding agreements with various publishers of mood music. For further information, please click here.

  • SUISA licenses the mechanical rights (production) and the right to make audiovisual productions available. But the production process involves other rights. These are synchronisation rights, generally held by the publisher, on the one hand, and recording rights, held by the label, on the other. To obtain these rights, one normally has to pay the corresponding remuneration.

  • These are two distinct forms of use. The mechanical rights are federally regulated and are subject to a tariff. Making available is not federally regulated and is subject to its own set of rules. Both uses are public uses within the meaning of the Copyright Act. 

  • Package deals are possible if the customer only uses a single offer, e.g. if the customer only ever uses music from the same mood music catalogue, or the same music title for all videos. This must be considered on a case-by-case basis. 

  • A production budget comprises the pre-production, production and post-production costs.

  • Productions must always be registered before the audiovisual recording is produced.