AUTODIA (Collective Management Organization of Music Authors and Rightholders, Greece)

AUTODIA (Collective Management Organization of Music Authors and Rightholders) is the certified Greek collective management organization that collects and distributes royalties for composers, songwriters, authors, and music publishers in Greece. Licensed by the Greek Ministry of Culture since 2003, AUTODIA became Greece's only functioning music CMO after the 2018 collapse of AEPI (the former Hellenic Collecting Authors Society) and is now a full CISAC member.

How AUTODIA Works

AUTODIA is a non-profit organization owned and controlled by its members (creators, songwriters, and their representatives). It collects royalties from three main sources: public performance (radio, television, venues, restaurants, retail), mechanical reproduction (physical media and digital copies), and the internet (streaming, downloads, online broadcasting). It also collects the reasonable fee for private copying.

The organization issues public performance licenses that allow businesses to use its entire represented repertoire without restrictions. License fees are distributed to members based on usage data collected from broadcasters, venues, and digital platforms.

AUTODIA replaced AEPI after CISAC suspended AEPI in June 2017 and expelled it in 2018 due to severe operational failures and transparency issues. Since then, AUTODIA has signed reciprocal agreements with multiple international societies (including GEMA, SACEM, PRS for Music, and others) to manage both domestic and foreign repertoire in the Greek market. As of 2025, AUTODIA distributed approximately 11.4 million euros in gross royalties in the first half of the year alone, a 9.9% increase over 2024.

In July 2026, AUTODIA announced a new era of growth driven by cutting-edge technology and a new social program for music creators, including a Members' Assistance Fund, healthcare, and occupational pension schemes.

Real-World Example

A composer in Athens registers 20 songs with AUTODIA. A Greek radio station plays 8 of those songs in a quarter, a streaming platform reports 100,000 streams, and five Athens bars hold AUTODIA blanket licenses for background music. AUTODIA collects from all three sources and distributes royalties to the composer based on logged airplay, streaming reports, and venue usage data.

Before AUTODIA took over, AEPI's collapse meant many Greek composers received no royalties at all for years. A songwriter whose works were regularly played on Greek radio saw payments stop entirely when AEPI failed. After joining AUTODIA and registering their catalog, that same songwriter began receiving quarterly distributions again, with AUTODIA collecting approximately 16.2 million euros in total during 2023 alone.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are a Greek composer, songwriter, or publisher, AUTODIA is your only option for collective royalty collection in Greece. AEPI no longer exists. Joining AUTODIA is the only way to receive performance and mechanical royalties for your works played on Greek radio, television, in venues, or on streaming platforms.

If you were previously an AEPI member, you need to register separately with AUTODIA. Your AEPI membership and registrations do not transfer automatically. Contact AUTODIA to begin the registration process and re-register your catalog.

For non-Greek artists, AUTODIA matters because it collects royalties for your works when they are performed in Greece. Your home PRO (ASCAP, BMI, PRS for Music, GEMA, etc.) has a reciprocal agreement with AUTODIA and will collect from Greece on your behalf. Ensure your works are registered with your home PRO so they can claim from AUTODIA.

Related Resources

• Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) - What a PRO is and how it functions
• Performance Royalties - How performance royalties are generated and collected
• Mechanical Royalties - How mechanical royalties work
• Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
• Copyright - The legal framework behind royalty collection
• AUTODIA Official Website - Visit AUTODIA for membership and licensing
• CISAC 2023 Report on Greece - Background on AUTODIA's growth after AEPI's collapse
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings