Autoren, Komponisten und Musikverleger

Austria • ViennaFounded 1897

AKM is the Austrian performing rights organization representing authors, composers, and music publishers. Founded in 1897 in Vienna. Collects and distributes performance royalties for public performances of musical works across Austria. 4 distributions per year (up to 8 payments). ~10 to 12% overhead plus 10% social/cultural deduction. Business shares 7.26 EUR (2 shares at 3.63 EUR each). Full membership requires 3,000 EUR minimum annual royalties for 4 of last 10 years.

Contact & HQ

Headquarters

Schottenfeldgasse 3, Vienna

info@akm.at

Territories

Austria

Royalty Rates

No royalty rate information available.

Affiliated Societies

CISAC
GEMA
SUISA

AKM (Autoren, Komponisten und Musikverleger) is Austria's primary performing rights organization, founded in 1897 and headquartered in Vienna. It operates as a state-approved registered cooperative (registrierte Genossenschaft m.b.H.) that collects and distributes performance royalties on behalf of songwriters, composers, and music publishers when their works are performed publicly in Austria.

How AKM Works

AKM issues blanket licenses to businesses that play music publicly, including radio stations, television broadcasters, streaming platforms, concert venues, restaurants, hotels, and retail stores. The organization collects licensing fees and distributes them to its members based on usage data gathered through broadcast monitoring, live performance setlists, and digital streaming reports.

Members register their musical works with AKM, providing details such as song titles, writer splits, and publisher information. AKM then tracks performances of those works and distributes royalties accordingly. The organization operates under Austrian copyright law and works closely with neighboring rights societies to ensure comprehensive royalty collection.

AKM maintains reciprocal agreements with performing rights organizations worldwide through its CISAC membership. This means that when an AKM member's music is performed in Germany, Switzerland, the United States, or any other country with a CISAC-affiliated PRO, AKM can collect those royalties on the member's behalf.

Real-World Example

An Austrian songwriter registers a song with AKM in January 2026, listing themselves as 100% writer and 100% publisher. The song gets played on Austrian radio station OE3 approximately 200 times throughout the year, streamed on Spotify 50,000 times by Austrian users, and performed live at a venue in Salzburg.

AKM collects royalties from OE3's broadcasting license fee, from Spotify's streaming license, and from the Salzburg venue's blanket license. The songwriter receives their writer share and publisher share (typically split 50/50) in AKM's distribution cycles. If the same song also gets airplay in Germany, AKM's reciprocal agreement with GEMA ensures the German royalties are collected and forwarded back to the songwriter through AKM.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you write music and live in Austria, joining AKM is one of the first business steps you should take. Without AKM membership, you cannot collect performance royalties generated when your music plays on Austrian radio, television, streaming services, or in public venues.

Austrian producers and songwriters should also understand that AKM only collects performance royalties. It does not handle mechanical royalties from physical sales or downloads (those are collected by Austro Mechana). It does not collect neighboring rights for master recording performances. You need separate organizations for those revenue streams.

For a complete walkthrough of the registration process, read our guide on how to register music with a PRO. You can also compare PROs worldwide using our PRO comparison guide or browse the full PRO directory.

PRO Comparison Table

Feature	AKM	GEMA	SUISA	SAMRO	PRS for Music
Territory	Austria	Germany	Switzerland	South Africa	United Kingdom
Join fee	7.26 EUR (2 business shares at 3.63 EUR each)	Varies by membership type	100 CHF (composers)	R100 (composers), R500 (publishers)	£100 (writers), £200 (publishers)
Annual fee	None	None	None	None	None
Overhead rate	~10 to 12% operating expenses plus 10% social/cultural deduction	~10 to 15%	~10 to 12%	25% cost-to-income ratio	~10 to 12%
Distribution frequency	4 statements per year (up to 8 payments)	4 distributions per year	2 to 4 distributions per year	23 distributions in 2025	4 distributions per year
Reciprocal agreements	CISAC member with worldwide reciprocal network	Yes (CISAC member)	Yes (CISAC member)	89 agreements across 150 countries	Yes (CISAC member)
Members	Not publicly disclosed	85,000+	40,000+	28,308 Associate and Full	160,000+

Territory Covered

AKM collects performing rights royalties exclusively within Austria. The organization licenses music users operating inside Austrian borders. This includes radio stations (OE3, ORF), television broadcasters, streaming platforms, concert venues, restaurants, hotels, retail stores, and any business playing music publicly in Austria.

For royalties generated outside Austria, AKM relies on its CISAC membership and reciprocal agreements with sister societies worldwide. Major partners include GEMA (Germany), SUISA (Switzerland), PRS for Music (UK), ASCAP and BMI (US), SACEM (France), and SIAE (Italy).

How to Join AKM

AKM operates as a registered cooperative (registrierte Genossenschaft m.b.H.). Membership involves purchasing business shares and meeting minimum earning requirements.

Ordinary (Full) Membership Requirements

For composers and authors:

Must have been a royalty recipient (Tantiemenbezugsberechtigter) for at least 5 years.
Must have earned minimum annual royalties in 4 of the last 10 years:
- Composers (E-Musik / serious music): 3,000 EUR per year
- Composers (U-Musik / entertainment music): 3,000 EUR per year (was 5,399.59 EUR through 2017)
- Authors (lyricists): 3,000 EUR per year
Submit a written membership application to the AKM board.
Purchase 2 business shares at 3.63 EUR each (7.26 EUR total).
Pay any outstanding admission fee.
Board approval required for admission.

For music publishers:

Must have been a royalty recipient for at least 5 years as a music publisher.
Must have earned minimum annual royalties in 4 of the last 10 years:
- E-Musik publishers: 14,000 EUR per year
- U-Musik publishers: 22,000 EUR per year
Must be based in Austria or an EEA member state.
Submit proof of publishing activity through Verlagsvertraege (publishing contracts).

Transfer from a Sister Society

Composers or authors who are already full members of another CISAC-affiliated society (such as GEMA or SUISA) can apply for AKM membership. The board may grant immediate ordinary membership if the applicant's earnings at the sister society meet AKM's minimum requirements. The 5-year waiting period may be waived in this case.

Royalty Recipient Without Full Membership

Songwriters can register works with AKM and receive royalties without being full members. This is the typical starting point. Full membership is granted once the minimum earning thresholds are met.

Membership Fees

Business shares: 3.63 EUR per share. Each member must purchase exactly 2 shares (7.26 EUR total). Payable within 10 days of board approval.
Admission fee: May apply (amount determined by the board).
Annual membership fee: None.
Social and cultural deduction: 10% of royalties is deducted for social and cultural purposes. This is set by the board and used for member welfare programs.

Overhead Rate

AKM deducts operating expenses of approximately 10 to 12% from collected revenue before distribution. This is low by international comparison. Additionally, a 10% deduction is taken for social and cultural purposes (Sozial- und Kulturabzug), as set by the board.

The combined effect means approximately 78 to 80% of collected revenue reaches members as royalties. The exact percentage varies year to year based on actual operating costs.

AKM does not generate profit. Any surplus is distributed to members. Unclaimed amounts within 3 years revert to the distribution pool.

Royalty Distribution Schedule

AKM issues 4 main statements per year. Depending on the usage of your works, you can receive up to 8 payments per year (4 from AKM and 4 from austro mechana, which handles mechanical rights).

AKM Distribution Dates for 2026

March 9, 2026: ORF Radio Q4, live performances (E-Musik and U-Musik), mechanical music, online, various international distributions
June 16, 2026: ORF Radio Q1, private television, private radio, online, various international distributions
September 28, 2026: ORF Radio Q2, live performances (U-Musik), mechanical music, online, various international distributions
December 9, 2026: ORF Television (1st half year), ORF Radio Q2, live performances (U-Musik), cable fees, online, various international distributions

International distributions follow separate schedules based on when foreign societies remit royalties to AKM.

Reciprocal Agreements with Foreign Societies

AKM maintains reciprocal agreements with performing rights organizations worldwide through CISAC membership. When an AKM member's music is performed in another country, the local society collects those royalties and forwards them to AKM.

Major reciprocal partners include:

GEMA (Germany): Austria's closest partner. Semi-annual settlements for public performances and online usage.
SUISA (Switzerland): Semi-annual settlements.
PRS for Music (UK): Semi-annual settlements.
SACEM (France): Semi-annual settlements.
ASCAP and BMI (US): Annual settlements.
JASRAC (Japan): Annual settlements.
SADAIC (Argentina): Annual settlements.
SAMRO (South Africa): Annual settlements.

AKM also works closely with austro mechana for mechanical rights and AUME for neighboring rights. These are separate organizations from AKM.

Notable Members

AKM's membership includes prominent Austrian composers and music publishers. Several notable composers have served as AKM president:

Gottfried von Einem (1918 to 1996): Composer of operas including "Dantons Tod" and "Der Prozess." AKM president from 1965 to 1970. Honorary president from 1971. Received the Austrian State Prize for Music in 1965.
Alfred Uhl (1909 to 1992): Composer known for his oratorio "Gilgamesch." AKM president from 1970 to 1975. Received the Grand Austrian State Prize in 1959.
Marcel Rubin (1905 to 1985): Composer of ten symphonies. AKM president (exact years not publicly documented). Studied with Franz Schmidt in Vienna and Darius Milhaud in Paris.
Heinrich Gattermeyer (born 1923): Composer. AKM president from 1984 to 1990. Professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.
Paul Hertel: Composer of film and television music. AKM vice president since 2018 (representing serious music). Board member since 2000.