TL;DR: SACEM (Société des auteurs, compositeurs et éditeurs de musique) is France's performing rights organization. It collects royalties when music is streamed, broadcast, or performed publicly in France. SACEM collected €1.003B in 2024 — one of the largest single-country CMOs in the world. International artists can collect French royalties through reciprocal agreements, but metadata accuracy is critical.
What Is SACEM?
SACEM is the French collecting society for authors, composers, and music publishers. It was founded in 1851 and is one of the oldest and most established CMOs in the world. SACEM represents over 180,000 members and manages rights for millions of works.
SACEM collects when music is:
- Streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube in France
- Broadcast on French radio and television (France Inter, RTL, TF1, M6)
- Performed live at licensed venues in France
- Used as background music in French shops, restaurants, bars, hotels
- Synchronized in French film, advertising, or TV productions
SACEM and International Artists
France is the world's sixth-largest music market. French streaming royalties are significant — but most independent international artists never collect them.
The mechanism for international collection:
- SACEM collects French performing rights royalties on behalf of all rights holders whose music plays in France
- SACEM remits the share owed to foreign rights holders to their home PRO (ASCAP, BMI, PRS, GEMA, etc.) through reciprocal agreements
- The home PRO distributes the royalties to the songwriter or publisher
This only works if:
- Your works are registered at your home PRO
- The ISWCs in your home PRO registration match what SACEM's systems show
- Your home PRO has a current bilateral agreement with SACEM (most major PROs do)
What SACEM Collects
| Royalty Type | Source |
|---|---|
| Digital streaming | Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, YouTube (France) |
| Terrestrial radio | France Inter, RTL, NRJ, Europe 1, and others |
| Television | TF1, France 2, M6, Canal+, streaming TV |
| Live performance | Concert halls, festivals, licensed venues |
| Background music | Shops, restaurants, hotels, gyms |
| Sync | French film, advertising, video productions |
SACEM's Scale
- SACEM collected over €1 billion in 2024, making it one of the largest CMOs in the world
- France's music market generates significant streaming volume from platforms including Deezer (a French company)
- SACEM has reciprocal agreements with CMOs in over 100 countries
For context: CISAC (the international confederation of CMOs) reported global collections of €12.59 billion in 2024 across all member societies. SACEM accounts for roughly 8% of global CMO collections.
The ISWC Requirement
SACEM uses ISWCs (International Standard Work Codes) to match usage data to compositions. French streaming logs, radio airplay reports, and venue surveys are all cross-referenced against the ISWC database.
If your work does not have an ISWC, or if the ISWC in SACEM's system is incorrect, French plays cannot be matched to your registration. Those royalties enter a suspense pool and may be redistributed if unclaimed.
How to Register
If you are a French resident:
- Visit sacem.fr
- Register as an author, composer, or publisher
- Submit each work with co-writer details, IPI numbers, and ISWCs
If you are an international artist:
- Register your works at your home PRO with complete and accurate metadata
- Ensure ISWCs are assigned and consistent
- Verify your home PRO has a reciprocal agreement with SACEM
- French royalties will be collected by SACEM and forwarded to your PRO
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Deezer pay SACEM royalties? Yes. Deezer, as a French platform with a French user base, pays licensing fees to SACEM for French streaming activity. SACEM then distributes the songwriter/publisher share of those fees.
How long does it take to receive French royalties? Typically 12–24 months from the date of the performance or stream, due to collection, processing, and inter-CMO transfer delays.
What is France's "Hadopi" and does it affect royalties? Hadopi (now Arcom) is France's digital content authority. It oversees copyright enforcement but is separate from SACEM's royalty collection operations.
My ISWC is correct at ASCAP but not at SACEM — what happens? Royalties for those French plays go unmatched. You or your publisher would need to work with SACEM (or your home PRO's international department) to correct the registration and claim the suspense funds.
Sources
- SACEM Annual Report 2024: Over €1 billion collected
- CISAC Global Collections Report 2024: €12.59B collected globally by all CMOs
- IFPI Global Music Report 2024