SACEM announces royalty scheme for live streams

The scheme, which will backdate live streams from 15 March, covers streams on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram that have generated at minimum of 1 000 views. Additional contracts are being negotiated with other platforms.

The scheme relies on broadcasts that are registered with the French collecting society. To benefit from the distribution, users must provide information such as live-stream date, list of works performed, platform name, link to the live stream, and duration of the live stream.

The distribution method will combine two elements: a minimum amount and an additional amount based on the number of views.

SACEM says it is presenting the scheme as a temporary measure. “At the end of the current health crisis, this exceptional distribution will be replaced by a new sustainable allocation method for live streams,” the society's blog reads.

In March, the collecting organisation announced a €6m ($6.8m) COVID-19 fund for its members. Collections for the new live-stream scheme will be paid out during the January 2021 distribution.

Last month, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) launched the Encore! programme, which pays songwriters and publishers for music used on Facebook and Instagram.

Many artists and DJs have forayed into livestreaming since the onset of the COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions on public gatherings, although only some of the music being played has generated royalties through licences obtained with live-streaming platforms.

Meanwhile, live-streaming platforms such as Twitch are tightening measures to stave off copyright infringement. Earlier this week, Twitch ruled out DJ sets without licences in its recent set of guidelines on using recorded music for live broadcasts. The video streaming service said that users who ignore the guidelines could face the "three strikes and you're out" rule.