FAQ: Copyright and royalties

Copyright gives music creators the following rights:

• Control how their work is used
• Receive compensation for the use of their work
• Be credited as the creator
• Prevent modifications or uses that could compromise their artistic integrity

Copyright protection begins automatically when you create your work:

• No membership in a copyright organization, registration, or formal declaration is required
• It remains valid throughout the creator’s lifetime
• It extends 70 years after the year of the creator’s death

More information:
Music rights and royalties

Copyright consists of two components:

• Economic rights: The right to control how the work is used and receive compensation
• Moral rights: The right to be credited and prevent derogatory use of the work

Copyright belongs to the original creators:

• Composer
• Lyricist
• Arranger (if the arrangement meets originality requirements)

Rights are determined differently depending on how the work was created:

• Combined work:
  • Music and lyrics are created separately (for example, the singer wrote the lyrics and the guitarist composed the music)
  • Can be performed separately (for example, instrumental version)
  • Each creator controls their portion independently
  • Protection period: 70 years after each creator’s death

• Joint work:
  • Created through genuine collaboration, parts cannot be separated
  • Registered under both creators’ names as a whole
  • All usage requires a joint decision
  • Protection period: 70 years after the last surviving creator’s death

• Fixed connection:
  • Parts created separately but intended for joint use
  • Can be separated unless agreed otherwise
  • Creators control their portions
  • Protection period: 70 years after the last surviving creator’s death

Copyright can be:

• Partially or fully transferred to another party (e.g., publisher)
• Inherited
• Managed by Teosto

The protection period defines how long copyright lasts:

• Throughout the creator’s lifetime
• 70 years after the year of the creator’s death
• For works with multiple creators, counted from the death of the last surviving creator

After the protection period ends:

• The work enters the public domain
• It can be performed, recorded, and modified without permission
• No royalties need to be paid

A work is protected when it:

• Is sufficiently original and unique
• Results from creative work
• Meets the threshold of originality

Meeting the threshold of originality means:

• No one else would likely create an identical work independently
• The work shows sufficient originality
• A simple idea or basic melody alone doesn’t qualify

Graphic rights refer to:

• The right to publish sheet music and lyrics in print or digital form
• The right to display music notation and lyrics visually (e.g., karaoke videos)
• The right to produce and publish sheet music books or songbooks

These rights:

• Are not included in the Teosto client agreement
• Are always managed by creators or publishers themselves
• Require a separate license and agreement

Plagiarism means presenting another’s work or parts of it as your own.

It’s plagiarism when a work is substantially identical to the original in its essential elements.

It’s not plagiarism when:

• Works share only random similarities
• Common musical elements are used
• The source of inspiration is recognizable, but the work stands as an independent creation

Yes. You automatically have copyright protection for your work, whether or not you’re a Teosto client.

Yes. You can remove from Teosto’s management:

• Specific rights categories (e.g., live performances)
• Geographic territories
• Individual works

For rights, you manage independently:

• You negotiate usage permissions yourself
• You set your rates
• You invoice royalties directly
• You’re responsible for monitoring usage rights

Please find more details about copyright inheritance here.

To receive royalties for your music:

1. First, become a Teosto client
2. Register your work online as soon as it’s completed
3. Report performances when you play your own or others’ music at live events
4. We collect data about music usage from radio, TV, and online platforms
5. Keep your contact details, bank account, and tax information up to date in the online service

You can find royalty payment schedules in our payment calendar.

To ensure accurate royalty payments, it’s essential to handle the basics promptly:

• Keep your information up-to-date:
  • Register works immediately after completion or before release
  • Review and confirm your work listed as “Unconfirmed” in the online service
  • Report all your performances
  • Verify that your banking and tax information is up to date

• Monitor payments in the online service:
  • Review payment reports
  • Check work information and share percentages
  • Track performance report status

If you notice payment discrepancies:

• File a claim as soon as possible through the online service
• Provide the requested additional information
• Keep documentation for potential investigations

We collaborate with approximately one hundred international copyright organizations. These partner organizations pay royalties to Finnish creators through us.

More information:
Support for internationalisation

There are several options for copyright royalty taxation:

• Tax card
• Business name
• Earned income and a personal publishing company
• Publishing and a limited company
• Personal limited company

More information:
Taxation and revenue models

We distribute collected royalties several times a year:

• Directly to domestic creators and publishers
• To international creators through sister organizations

We cover our operational costs by:

• Taking a small percentage of collected royalties
• Returns from investment activities

Please find more details about our revenue streams from annual reports.

If you discover unauthorized use of your works, follow these steps:

• Document the unauthorized use:
  • Save evidence (screenshots, links, or recordings)
  • Record when and how extensively the work was used

• Report the issue:
  • If you’re a Teosto client, contact our customer service
  • You can also contact the Copyright Information and Anti-Piracy Centre

• For online service takedown requests:
  • YouTube: use the ContentID system or copyright claim form
  • Other platforms: use the platform’s reporting system

If you notice an error in your work registration (such as incorrect shares or the wrong creator), you can correct it through the online service. If you’re the composer or lyricist, you can make corrections yourself.

For published works, only the publisher can make modifications.

After submitting a performance report, you cannot modify the event details yourself. If you notice an error, contact our customer service – they will help correct the information.