Amendment to APRA’s changes to royalty payments for major concerts
In May, a proposed change to the APRA distribution practice for major concerts was announced. Major concerts are where APRA licenses the promoter directly and there is a headline and support act.
The change means that songs performed by a support act(s) at major concerts in Australia and New Zealand will be allocated a fixed 20 per cent share of APRA royalties from the concert, while the songs performed by the headliner will be allocated 80 per cent of the royalties.
This change brings us into alignment with other countries and collecting societies with the purpose to retain revenue and preserve royalties in Australia and New Zealand for local artists.
Following the announcement, discussions continued with members and managers to further understand the implications of the proposed changes. We’ve taken this feedback on board and acknowledge the proposed November 2023 rollout did not take into consideration negotiations on guaranteed fees for support acts that were underway prior to the announcement.
At the August APRA Board meeting, an amendment was approved for a new start date for the changes to the distribution practice for major concerts to be effective for all setlists provided after 1 June 2024.
So that we can answer any other questions about the changes, please register your interest for a call with the wider membership with Adam Townsend, Director Writer Services. Please contact [email protected] and a suitable time will be organised.