Frequently asked questions
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What do I need a music licence for?
You will need a music licence for all public use of music in any occasion not considered private. It is also your legal obligation to get a music licence if you use someone else’s work result, i.e. published music, in your business. The music licence fees help ensure the livelihood of the copyright owners, i.e. music authors, performers, producers and publishers. You will find more information on the “Do I need a licence?” site.
How do I sign in to MyLicence?
You can sign in to MyLicence using the email address registered at the time of licence purchase. On the sign-in page, you can also reset your password or register for the service.
Why do I have to pay two different copyright organisations?
When you are using music publicly, you will need a permission from the copyright owners, represented by both Gramex and Teosto. Gramex represents the music producers and performing artists, whereas Teosto represents the composers, lyricists, music arrangers and publishers. Musiikkiluvat.fi distributes the collected fees to Gramex and Teosto, who will then distribute the fees further to the copyright owners.
I am about to stop using music. What shall I do?
Music usage agreement is valid indefinitely. In case of contract termination, we will follow the notice period determined in the contractual conditions. You can terminate the licence by contacting our customer service.
Why was I charged twice for the same music licence on my invoice?
Musiikkiluvat charges for the music usage licences on behalf of both copyright organisations on the same invoice. You will be able to see both the Gramex and Teosto prices in the invoice breakdown.
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Why am I paying for the copyright fees?
According to the laws of all civilized societies, the authors of creative work and the entrepreneurs are to be compensated for the use of the result of their work. The fees you pay secure a sustainable future for professional music making. These fees are essential for the Finnish cultural sector. Read more on the “Do I need a licence?” site.
What is public performance of music?
Almost all music performance, except privately between family and friends, is considered public. For example playing music in restaurants, hair salons, beauty salons, fitness centres and health clubs, trade fairs, public transportation, taxis, etc. is considered public performance. Playing music in concerts, dances, on the radio and television as well as uploading music on the internet is considered public performance. Read more on the site “Do I need a licence?”.
I only play music that’s not Finnish. Do I still have to pay for the licence?
Teosto and Gramex collect fees in Finland for Finnish and international music authors and artists, and the organisations also distribute and receive fees from abroad. This is enabled by reciprocal agreements between the Finnish copyright organisations and the equivalent organisations in different countries.
The same way, the international organisations charge music users according to their own respective agreements, regulations and price lists in their respective countries. While distributing the fees to their respective customers, the international organisations deliver the fees belonging to Teosto and Gramex’s customers to the Finnish copyright organisations, who will in turn distribute the fees further to their respective customers.
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Why do I have to pay for karaoke separately if I am already paying for a background music licence?
A karaoke disc is a different kind of product than for example a music recording. The record producers of a karaoke disc have sold the rights directly, whereby Gramex will not receive any payment for performing karaoke. Teosto, on the other hand, requires a licence to perform karaoke publicly. The licence covers the public performance fee for the music authors and publishers.
We are only streaming radio/TV in our company. Why do we have to pay to use music when we are already paying for the public broadcasting tax?
Paying for the public broadcasting tax does not entitle you to perform music publicly: the public broadcasting tax is used to finance operations of the Yleisradio TV and radio channels. The broadcasting right agreements of radio and television companies only cover the music use in their own broadcasting and business activities. When another company – such as a store, restaurant, hair salon or a taxi – is playing background music through radio or television to support their own business, a separate music licence is required.
If I do not get a music licence, will there be consequences?
It is your legal obligation to get a music licence if you play music publicly. In any case, you shall pay a fee backdated to the date you started playing music in your business. You may also be denied to play music if you fail to pay for the fee.
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How do I choose MyLicence invoice as the invoice method?
You can choose the invoice method by signing in to MyLicence. You will see the invoice method on MyLicence under customer information. To select or change the invoice method, click on “Edit information”.
Sign in to MyLicence using the email address registered at the time of licence purchase. On the sign-in page, you can also reset your password or register for the service.
Why do you charge a billing surcharge?
The billing surcharges are based on the cost price. In other words, delivering and administering all invoices involves some costs, such as development and maintenance expenses between systems and third parties. In addition, paper invoicing involves paper and printing costs. Changing the billing surcharge policy enables the expansion of the MyLicence service, as well as the use of new payment methods, such as MobilePay and online banking. Billing surcharges between companies are lawful.
When and how will I get notified about a new MyLicence invoice?
If you choose MyLicence as the invoicing method, the service will ask for your email address or a phone number where you will receive a notification about a new invoice.
Please note, however, that you will not get an email or SMS notification about a payment reminder, as payment reminders will be delivered to you by post to the mailing address that you provided. Please make sure that your address is up to date.
Is it possible to extend the payment terms of my invoice?
If you need to extend the payment terms, please contact our customer service prior to the due date of the invoice. Billing reminders and collections for GT Musiikkiluvat Oy is managed by our partner Intrum.
I am about to stop using music. What shall I do?
Music usage agreement is valid indefinitely. In case of contract termination, we will follow the notice period determined in the contractual conditions. You can terminate the licence by contacting our customer service.
Why was I charged twice for the same music licence on my invoice?
Musiikkiluvat charges for the music usage licences on behalf of both copyright organisations on the same invoice. You will be able to see both the Gramex and Teosto prices in the invoice breakdown.
How do I ensure that I will receive the email invoice?
Make sure that your email settings are not blocking the sender or the sender server. The invoices are sent by asiakaspalvelu@musiikkiluvat.fi and the sender email servers are smtp1-1.xenetic.net and smtp2-1.xenetic.net.
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What do the Gramex and Teosto music licence prices consist of?
Gramex and Teosto negotiate their own prices. The prices are based on the organisations’ industry negotiations and the rules agreed upon with their right holders. The value added tax is based on the tax collector’s interpretation regarding different compensations.
Where do the collected fees go?
The fees will be distributed by Gramex and Teosto to the copyright owners, i.e. music authors, performers, producers and publishers. The cost efficiency of the organisations is best-in-class in the industry: around 90% of the collected money will be directed further. Gramex distributes the fees to the music producers, performers and conductors, whereas Teosto distributes the fees to the composers, lyricists, arrangers and music publishers.