Broadcasting music - Phone Music on hold

Do I need to pay copyright fees to Sacem if I use a work in the public domain?

Music or songs whose patrimonial protection has expired are in the public domain, i.e., 70 years after the death of the original author-composer of the work. For the public performance of these works, you do not need Sacem's authorization. Therefore, you do not have any copyright fees to pay.

To ensure that the music you have selected for your on-hold system is in the public domain and to avoid any risk of unauthorized broadcasting, please contact us.

Do I need to pay copyright fees to Sacem if I use a work that is not in Sacem's repertoire?

For the use of music or a song whose copyright holders are not members of Sacem or a foreign authors' society, you do not need Sacem's authorization and therefore do not have any copyright fees to pay to it.

To ensure that the music you have selected for your on-hold system is not part of Sacem's repertoire or those of the foreign authors' societies it represents in France, and to avoid any risk of unauthorized broadcasting, please contact us.

I received a certificate from my telephone installer stating that the works broadcast on my on-hold system are not in Sacem's repertoire. Should I send it to my Sacem delegation?

Yes, by verifying that this certificate -issued by your telephone installer or sound designer- imperatively mentions the names of the authors and composers of these works. Please contact us.

Do I need to pay copyright fees to Sacem for the use of a specific work commissioned by my company from a composer?

Your company has compensated this composer for the creation of this work for which he reserves the exclusive right of use. If this composer is a member of Sacem, or a foreign authors' society it represents, the compensation you have paid him must not be confused with that which he receives as a composer for the reproduction and public performance of his work.

Thus, the compensation you pay to the composer for his specific creation is in addition to the copyright fees collected by Sacem.

Why pay fees to Sacem if I use a foreign work?

Sacem has signed representation agreements with a hundred foreign authors' societies. It is authorized to act for the broadcasting of foreign repertoires on French territory. The fees thus collected are paid back to the foreign authors' societies.

Can I consult the catalog of works protected by Sacem?

If the author and/or composer are registered with an authors' society, even if the work in question is not yet listed in the CATEL repertoire, you are supposed to pay copyright fees.

How can I find out the number of available incoming and outgoing telephone lines on your telephone system?

You can inquire with your telephone installer or your telecommunications operator.

What types of lines should be considered?

All lines connected to the on-hold system must be counted, whether they are digital or analog. Similarly, each company mobile phone with on-hold music corresponds to an on-hold telephone line.

I have chosen to broadcast the radio as on-hold music. Do I need to pay something to Sacem?

Whether the music broadcast on your on-hold system comes from a radio, a CD, or another source, the copyright fees are payable in the same way to Sacem.

Where does the money collected by Sacem go?

Since Sacem is not a commercial company, it does not make a profit. After deducting management fees, 84.9% of the amounts collected are redistributed to French and foreign copyright holders whose works are used.

What happens if I use Sacem's repertoire without its authorization?

If you use a protected work for your on-hold music without the author's authorization, you are legally in a situation of counterfeiting. Sacem is then entitled to take legal action.