AGICOA

AGICOA (Association of International Collective Management of Audiovisual Works) is a Geneva-based non-profit organization that negotiates, collects, and distributes royalties for secondary rights in audiovisual works. It represents approximately 20,000 rightsholders worldwide and manages over 1.76 million declared works and rights across more than 306 TV channels.

How AGICOA Works

AGICOA operates through two types of mandates. The General Mandate is mandatory and covers retransmission of audiovisual works in television programs intended for public reception. The Voluntary Mandate is discretionary and covers time-shifted viewing services (catch-up TV, pause and resume, network PVR) and in-home or out-of-home linear services.

The organization uses its proprietary IRRIS (International Rights Royalties Information System) technology to match broadcasts against its database. In 2024, AGICOA matched 1.6 million works and rights against more than 2.5 million broadcasts. In 2025, AGICOA deployed an AI-driven identification tool developed in collaboration with IDIAP (a Swiss research institute affiliated with EPFL) that achieved a fivefold increase in processing speed and a 20% improvement in auto-identification rates.

Registration with AGICOA is free. The organization deducts management fees from collected royalties before payment. In 2026, the General Mandate fee is 8.93%, the Voluntary Mandate fee is 7%, and the NPVR fee is 10%. These fees are reviewed and approved annually by the General Assembly.

Real-World Example

In 2024, AGICOA collected EUR 161.4 million in total royalties, ranking among the top three collection years in its history. For 2025, AGICOA put a record-breaking EUR 171.1 million into distribution, with EUR 156.2 million in first distributions and EUR 14.9 million in final distributions.

A producer who registers their audiovisual work with AGICOA in 2025 would have their work matched against broadcast data across 306+ TV channels. If their work was broadcast in Germany, France, and Spain in 2025, AGICOA would collect royalties from operators in those countries and distribute payment in 2026, deducting the 8.93% management fee from the total amount.

Rightsholders must declare their works within three years following the broadcast year. For example, to claim royalties for works broadcast in 2026, declarations must be submitted before 31 December 2029.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

AGICOA handles secondary rights for audiovisual producers, not musical performance royalties. However, if you produce music for film, television, or streaming content, your audiovisual works may qualify for secondary rights royalties through AGICOA. Many independent producers leave this money uncollected because they are unaware that retransmission and time-shifted viewing generate separate royalty streams beyond their initial licensing deals.

If you produce audiovisual content that airs on television in any of the countries where AGICOA operates, you should register your works. One single registration can ensure worldwide coverage through AGICOA's network of partner organizations. The three-year claim window means you can still register works that were broadcast up to three years ago.

For songwriters and composers, AGICOA does not replace your PRO membership. It covers a different rights category. You still need a performing rights organization for your performance royalties and a mechanical society for your mechanical royalties. Learn more in our complete guide to all the music royalties you should be collecting.

Territory Covered

AGICOA operates worldwide. The organization is based in Geneva, Switzerland at 1 rue de Pestalozzi. Through the AGICOA Alliance and partner organizations, AGICOA collects royalties from operators in over 30 countries including Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Canada, Australia, Colombia, Israel, and others. A single registration with AGICOA can ensure worldwide coverage through its network of partner organizations.

Membership and Fees

Registration with AGICOA is free. There are no application fees. To register, producers must submit:

1. A completed registration form
2. An extract from the commercial register (for legal entities) or a copy of an official identification document (for natural persons)
3. A copy of a bank account statement for the payment beneficiary
4. Identification documents for each signatory

Documents can be submitted via email to info@agicoa.org or by post to AGICOA, 1 rue de Pestalozzi, CH-1202 Geneva. After registration, a Portfolio Manager contacts the producer to confirm the account and provide access to the AGICOA Declaration Portal.

AGICOA charges management fees on collected royalties rather than upfront membership fees. Producers can register as "Independent Rightsholders" (representing their own catalog) or "Agents" (representing multiple catalogs on behalf of clients).

Overhead Rate

AGICOA deducts management fees from collected royalties before payment to rightsholders. The fees are reviewed and approved annually by the General Assembly:

• General Mandate (2026): 8.93% (was 8.54% in 2025, 9.61% in 2024)
• Voluntary Mandate (2026): 7%
• NPVR (Network Personal Video Recorder): 10%

The General Mandate fee has remained under 10% throughout AGICOA's history. For the AGICOA Alliance (combined collections from partner organizations), a single rate is applied. In 2024, this combined rate was 9.61%. Each rightsholder receives a net payment after fee deduction.

Royalty Distribution Schedule

AGICOA distributes royalties in two phases for each broadcasting year:

1. First distribution: Processed for works declared by December 31st of the broadcasting year. Royalties are typically paid during the year following the broadcast year.
2. Final distribution: Processed for works declared within the three-year claim window.

Royalties must be distributed no later than nine months from the end of the broadcasting year in which they were collected. Royalties received from other collective management organizations are distributed within six months of receipt.

In 2025, AGICOA put a record-breaking EUR 171.1 million into distribution (EUR 156.2 million in first distributions and EUR 14.9 million in final distributions). In 2024, AGICOA collected EUR 161.4 million in total royalties.

Reciprocal Agreements

AGICOA operates through the AGICOA Alliance, a network of approximately 12 partner organizations that handle collections in their respective territories. AGICOA also holds representation agreements with local CMOs in countries where collective management is mandatory (typically within the European Union). The organization operates under the terms of:

• The Berne Convention
• EU Directive 93/83/EEC (CABSAT 1) on satellite and cable retransmission
• EU Directive 2019/789/EU (CABSAT 2) on online retransmission

AGICOA is a CISAC member and cooperates with ISAN (International Standard Audiovisual Number) as the registration authority for ISO 15706. AGICOA also became a member of ERA (Educational Recording Agency).

Notable Members

AGICOA represents approximately 20,000 to 23,000 rightsholders worldwide, managing over 1.76 million declared works and rights across more than 306 TV channels. The organization does not publish a public list of individual rightsholders. Members include independent audiovisual producers, production companies, and agents who manage catalogs on behalf of multiple producers. Over the last 20 years, AGICOA members have received over EUR 2 billion in distributed royalties.

AGICOA vs Other Organizations

Videos

Compare AGICOA with Other PROs

• CISAC - International confederation of societies of authors and composers
• SACD - French society of dramatic authors and composers
• SACEM - French society of authors, composers, and publishers
• GEMA - German collective management organization
• PRS for Music - UK performing rights society
• SIAE - Italian society of authors and publishers

Related Resources

• PRO Directory - Browse performing rights organizations worldwide
• How to Register Music with a PRO - Step-by-step registration guide
• Best Royalty Collection Services for Independent Artists - Compare collection options
• Streaming Royalty Calculator - Estimate your streaming earnings
• AGICOA Official Website - Register and learn more about secondary rights