In June, Teosto distributed EUR 29 million to music creators and publishers – royalties from abroad and from live music are growing
Today, on 12 June, the Finnish copyright society Teosto distributed EUR 29 million in royalties to composers, lyricists, arrangers and music publishers.
Teosto distributes royalties to its members quarterly. In June 2025, royalties were mainly distributed for music used on radio and television, in online and streaming services and as background music in October–December 2024. In addition, the June distribution included royalties from concerts and live music performances that took place in 2024.
In June 2025, the amount of royalties distributed was EUR 2.4 million larger than a year ago.
In total, more than 11,500 music creators and publishers received royalties in June. In this distribution, the median amount distributed to a single music creator was about EUR 122.
You can find details regarding your distribution in our web service. Remember to check that your tax and bank account details are correct while you’re there!
“Professional creation and promotion of music requires that people who create and promote music – composers, lyricists and music publishers alike – receive compensation for their work and investments. Royalties are the cornerstone of music culture,” says Teosto’s CEO Risto Salminen.
Salminen points out that the record-breaking distribution made this June comes from the use of music last year.
“We hope that both public and private funds will be used to support culture in 2025 as well.”
Record summer of concerts in 2024 reflected in growing distributions to music creators
Royalties collected for live music performances and events that contain music as well as for background music continued to increase in 2024. Performing right royalties collected from concerts and festivals increased by nearly EUR 2 million.
“The largest individual royalty payments in 2024 naturally came from the numerous concerts held at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium, but there were numerous other events during the year,” says Markus Kaarto, Chief Licensing Officer at Teosto.
However, Kaarto points out that according to a survey commissioned by Teosto and IFPI Finland in 2024, 56% of Finns ended up not buying a ticket to a particular gig, concert or festival last year due to the high prices.
In fact, the actors in the live music sector have started to look for ways to lower the consumer prices of tickets with the help of corporate sponsors and other partners, for example.
“Sponsored gigs place music creators in an unequal position, though. At the moment, music licences are priced in proportion to ticket revenue. Performing artists receive the same amount of remuneration for both sponsored and unsponsored gigs, but music creators (composers, lyricists and arrangers) are at risk of missing out if this practice becomes more common,” Kaarto says.
Many gigs feature songs whose creators are not artists themselves. For these creators, the royalties paid by Teosto are the most important or maybe even the only source of income.
According to Kaarto, Teosto is looking for a solution to the current challenge that would work for all parties.
Strong growth in royalties from abroad
In addition to collecting royalties for music used in Finland, Teosto also collects royalties for music used abroad. In 2024, Teosto collected royalties from 127 countries.
The popularity of Finnish music is growing worldwide, and in recent years Teosto has also invested significantly in improving the efficiency of collecting royalties from abroad. Teosto has reciprocal representation agreements with more than 80 foreign copyright societies, which makes it possible to collect royalties for Finnish music creators and publishers from around the world.
“In addition, we have recruited people to support our music creator members who also operate abroad so that Finnish music can break through internationally,” says Miia Engberg, Chief Customer Experience and International Officer at Teosto.
In 2024, royalties from abroad increased by up to 26% year-on-year. The strongest growth was seen in the German and US markets.
“It is very important to us that we can also serve our internationally operating members when it comes to royalties from abroad. Music creators who are aiming to enter foreign markets find it valuable that they can also get international services from Teosto and do not need to join a foreign copyright society, even if they are looking outside Finland,” Engberg says.
The royalties to be distributed in June 2025 have been collected for the following categories of rights:
| Category of rights | June 2025, EUR million | June 2024, EUR million |
| Radio and TV | 11.6 | 11.0 |
| Public performance | 12.9 | 10.9 |
| Online services | 1.7 | 2.6 |
| Reproduction | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Multiple (foreign countries, corrections) | 1.8 | 1.1 |
| Total | 29.0 | 26.6 |
You can find more detailed information about the distribution categories included in this distribution and the times when the royalties were collected in the distribution calendar on our website.
Distributions are made four times a year
Teosto distributes royalties to its member composers, lyricists, arrangers and publishers four times a year. After June 2025, the next distribution will be made on 19 September 2025.
You can find out more about Teosto’s distributions on the Distributions page of Teosto’s website.
The total amount distributed by Teosto varies depending on how comprehensively royalties can be collected in each music use category and how quickly the royalties can be allocated to the work to which they belong.
The allocating of royalties requires work notifications submitted by music creators to Teosto for their own works, as well as performance notifications or music use reports submitted by music performers and users.