Today, Sabam holds its general meeting at which the Belgian authors' association presents the 2017 results to its associates, authors, composers and publishers.
More royalties for more authors
In 2017, Sabam distributed more than € 117.5 million in royalties to authors, directors, screenwriters, composers, theatre makers, publishers, etc. That is € 11 million more than last year, or an increase of no less than 10%. Every month, Sabam distributes money to its authors, accounting for a total of 63 distributions in 2017.
This means that 81% of the royalties received in 2016 were already distributed among the associates of Sabam. This is a larger share than last year. In 2016, 75% of the royalties received in 2015 were distributed.
The number of authors and publishers receiving royalties is also increasing, to 13,893 to be precise. An increase of 6.7% compared to 2016.
More income for authors
Sabam received more than € 163 million in royalties for the use of its repertoire (musical compositions, audiovisual works, theatre texts and photographs,...). This is an increase of 5% compared to the previous year.
Sabam For Culture
Sabam also supports culture in Belgium through its cultural fund. Sabam For Culture has become an indispensable partner in the Belgian cultural landscape and is committed to creative artists and cultural organisations at home and abroad. Its main objective? Bring together various players in the sector in order to promote its repertoire.
With a budget of € 1.2 million, Sabam For Culture supported more than 400 initiatives in 2017, including 132 events, 167 grants for creative artists, 51 prizes, 19 awards and 23 live sessions with Belgian artists.
New leadership and a look to the future
Since 15 May, Sabam has a new general manager, Carine Libert. This is the very first time that a woman has held this position. Carine has been working for Sabam as a lawyer for 27 years and has led the Legal and International Affairs department since 1999.
“Before Sabam celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2022, I want to achieve 3 goals: firstly, our authors should receive their royalties and the answers to their questions more quickly. That is why we continue to invest in our eServices, in faster data processing and in an efficient management of the relations with our members and customers. Secondly, these customers, in turn, need to find their way to Sabam more easily, so that they can quickly and smoothly obtain permission to use our repertoire. By correctly compensating the authors, they contribute to the value of our local culture. Finally, staff is our 'Human Capital'. I want to use their knowledge and expertise as effectively as possible to realise our priorities and to face the challenges of the future together.”
The Board of Directors also welcomes two new faces: Tom Kestens, author-composer and musician, and Pierre Dumoulin, author-composer of, for instance, ‘City Lights’, a song performed by the Belgian singer Blanche, that represented Belgium in the Eurovision Song Contest last year.
The full annual report 2017 can be found here (NL version - FR version).