ARTISJUS

ARTISJUS (Artisjus Magyar Szerzői Jogvédő Iroda Egyesület, or Society ARTISJUS Hungarian Bureau for the Protection of Authors' Rights) is Hungary's collective management organization for composers, lyricists, literary authors, and music publishers. Founded on October 26, 1996 and headquartered in Budapest, it licenses the public performance, broadcasting, mechanical reproduction, and online use of musical and literary works, collecting and distributing royalties to its members and affiliates.

How ARTISJUS Works

ARTISJUS operates under Hungary's Copyright Act (Act LXXVI of 1999) and the Collective Management Act (Act XCIII of 2016). The organization began its collective management activities on January 1, 1998 as the legal successor to the dissolved Copyright Protection Office. It is registered with and supervised by the Hungarian Intellectual Property Office (Szellemi Tulajdon Nemzeti Hivatala).

The organization collects royalties across six categories: public performance, broadcasting and cable television, blank carrier levies, mechanical and canned music, online activities, and reprography. In 2023, ARTISJUS collected a total of 24.15 billion HUF (approximately $67 million USD), a 1.4% increase over 2022. By 2025, royalty distributions reached 15.2 billion HUF paid to songwriters and music publishers.

ARTISJUS has approximately 2,075 full association members (literary authors, classical music composers, light music composers, and music publishers) plus over 27,655 additional rightsholders who have mandated the organization to manage their rights. Members elect delegates and Supervisory Board members every four years through an electronic voting system.

For online licensing, ARTISJUS has mandated Sacem (France's collective management organization and the largest in Europe) to represent the Hungarian music repertoire in negotiations with major streaming service providers. This partnership, established in 2022, allows Hungarian works to be licensed more efficiently on digital platforms across Europe.

ARTISJUS is a member of CISAC and GESAC (European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers), through which it participates in EU legislative advocacy and international copyright standards development.

Real-World Example

A Hungarian composer writes 40 songs that receive regular airplay on Hungarian national radio and television. A Budapest concert venue performs 10 of those songs live in a given quarter, and streaming platforms report 150,000 streams of 15 songs. ARTISJUS collects royalties from all three sources.

The composer's royalties are calculated based on the type of use. In 2023, public performance royalties accounted for 6.85 billion HUF, broadcasting and cable television brought in 6.84 billion HUF, and online activities generated 1.36 billion HUF. The composer receives a proportional share based on how frequently their works appear in the usage logs of each category.

If those same songs are streamed in France, Sacem licenses the Hungarian repertoire to the streaming platform and remits the collected royalties to ARTISJUS for distribution to the composer. This arrangement, active since 2022, means Hungarian composers no longer need to rely solely on bilateral society agreements for online royalty collection across Europe.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are a Hungarian songwriter, composer, lyricist, or publisher, ARTISJUS membership is the only practical way to collect performance, broadcasting, and mechanical royalties for your works within Hungary. Without it, you would need to individually license every radio station, venue, and platform that uses your music.

Joining ARTISJUS requires that you have works being publicly used and that you meet the membership criteria set by the General Assembly. Once admitted, you can register your works through the Authors' Information System (AIS), ARTISJUS's online portal. Ensure your compositions include correct metadata, split information, and ISRC codes so usage data can be matched accurately.

For non-Hungarian artists, ARTISJUS matters if your music is performed or broadcast in Hungary. Your home PRO should collect from ARTISJUS through reciprocal agreements. The Sacem partnership for online licensing means that if your music is streamed on platforms licensed through Sacem's multi-territorial agreement, Hungarian royalties for online use flow through that channel.

ARTISJUS also distributes grants through the National Cultural Fund and its own foundations, providing social and professional support to rightsholders. The organization holds elections every four years, giving members direct influence over governance and distribution policies.

PRO Comparison Table

Territory Covered

ARTISJUS collects performing and mechanical rights royalties exclusively within Hungary. The organization licenses music users operating inside Hungarian borders, including radio and television broadcasters, cable television providers, streaming platforms, live concert venues, restaurants, retail stores, cinemas, and any business playing music publicly in Hungary. ARTISJUS represents the complete global music repertoire within Hungary through its reciprocal agreements.

For royalties generated outside Hungary, ARTISJUS relies on its nearly 100 reciprocal agreements with foreign collective management organizations. Major partners include GEMA (Germany), SACEM (France), PRS for Music (United Kingdom), SIAE (Italy), ASCAP and BMI (United States), and ZAIKS (Poland). For online licensing across Europe, ARTISJUS has mandated Sacem to represent the Hungarian music repertoire in negotiations with major streaming service providers since 2022.

How to Join ARTISJUS

Step 1: Register as a Rights Holder

1. Any person who holds copyright to creative works can sign a collective management agreement with ARTISJUS. This is free.
2. Fill in the registration form (available in English) on the ARTISJUS website.
3. Print and sign the data sheet, then send it to: ARTISJUS, 1016 Budapest, Meszaros u. 15-17, Hungary.
4. There is no minimum earning requirement to sign a collective management agreement.

Step 2: Register Your Works

1. After registration, log in to the Authors' Information System (AIS), ARTISJUS's online portal.
2. Register each composition with correct metadata, including titles, co-writer information, publisher shares, and ISWC numbers.
3. ARTISJUS uses this data to match usage reports from broadcasters, streaming platforms, and venues to your compositions.
4. Online work registration is recommended, though paper-based reporting is still accepted.

Step 3: Apply for Full Association Membership

1. Full membership is available once your royalty payments from ARTISJUS reach a minimum threshold in the preceding year:
   • Classical music composers: 60,000 HUF
   • Light music composers and songwriters: 120,000 HUF
   • Literary authors and poets: 20,000 HUF
   • Music publishers: 100,000 HUF (for at least 20 works by Artisjus member authors)
2. Submit the membership application form (available in Hungarian; Member Services can assist) to ARTISJUS.
3. The Board of Authors reviews your application and decides on admission.
4. Full members gain voting rights at the annual members' meeting, eligibility for board and supervisory committee positions, free dental care, access to the Voluntary Pension Fund (after 3 years, music rightsholders only), and the Artisjus magazine subscription.

Required Documents

• Registration form (available in English)
• List of creative works with titles and co-writer information
• For publishers: publishing contracts and company registration documents
• Membership application form (for full membership, in Hungarian)

Membership Fees and Overhead Rate

Fees

• Joining fee: None. Registration is free.
• Annual membership fee: None for rights holders. Full association membership carries no separate fee.
• Work registration fee: None. Online system use is free.
• Online system use fee: None.

Overhead Rate

ARTISJUS's administrative costs are deducted from collected royalties before distribution. The actual overhead rate (ratio of actual revenue to actual costs) was 18.07% in 2023, compared to 15.37% in 2021. The rate is set annually by the General Assembly in accordance with CISAC guidelines and is consistent with the Western European average.

ARTISJUS does not generate profit for shareholders. The organization operates as a non-profit association. Any surplus is distributed to rights holders or allocated to social and cultural support programs, including the National Cultural Fund and member welfare initiatives.

Royalty Distribution Schedule

ARTISJUS operates a multi-frequency distribution system. Royalties are paid out through continuous distributions and two major distributions per year.

Continuous Distributions (Monthly)

• Sound recording releases
• Foreign performances
• Online usage
• Individual concerts and events
• Background music services

Continuous distributions occur multiple times per month. In 2026, payment dates include January 15, February 10, March 3 and 31, April 30, May 15, June 5 and 26, July 16, August 6 and 27, September 24, October 21, November 12 and 27, and December 17.

Major Distribution #1 (May)

• Radio and television broadcasting royalties

Major Distribution #2 (June)

• Entertainment concerts (second half of preceding year)
• Classical music events
• Mechanical and canned music (based on sound recording and entertainment concert data)
• Film music
• Blank carrier private copying levy

Additional Scheduled Distributions

• Literature broadcasting (April)
• Reprography (August)
• Entertainment concerts, first half of current year (November)
• Suspended account releases three times per year (winter, summer, autumn)

Reciprocal Agreements with Foreign Societies

ARTISJUS maintains nearly 100 reciprocal representation agreements with foreign collective management organizations worldwide. ARTISJUS is a member of CISAC (since 1927), BIEM (Bureau International des Societes Gerant les Droits d'Enregistrement et de Reproduction Mecanique), and GESAC (European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers).

Major reciprocal partners include:

• GEMA (Germany): Major European partner
• SACEM (France): Major European partner, also mandated for online licensing since 2022
• PRS for Music (United Kingdom): European partner
• SIAE (Italy): European partner
• ASCAP and BMI (United States): Major international partners
• ZAIKS (Poland): Central European partner
• OSA (Czech Republic): Central European partner
• SOZAJ (Slovakia): Neighboring partner
• SLOVAKGRAM (Slovakia): Neighboring partner

Through these agreements, ARTISJUS represents the complete global music repertoire within Hungary. Foreign societies collect royalties for Hungarian works performed abroad and remit them to ARTISJUS for distribution to Hungarian rightsholders.

Notable Members

ARTISJUS's membership spans composers, lyricists, literary authors, and music publishers across classical and popular music. Several notable figures have been associated with ARTISJUS:

• Janos Brody (born 1946): Singer, guitarist, composer, and lyricist. Kossuth Prize and Liszt Ferenc Prize winner. President of ARTISJUS from 1998 to 2011. Member of the Illés and Fonográf bands. Co-wrote the rock opera "István, a király" (Stephen the King). One of the most influential figures in Hungarian popular music. (Wikipedia)
• Victor Mate (born 1945): Musician, composer, and actor. President of ARTISJUS since 2012. Erkel Ferenc Prize winner (1985). Received the ARTISJUS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005 and the Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2005. (Unearthing The Music)
• Peter Geszti: Songwriter and lyricist. Received the ARTISJUS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2025. Former frontman of the Rapülők. Co-wrote the musicals "A dzsungel könyve" (The Jungle Book, 2016) and "A Pál utcai fiúk" (The Boys of Paul Street, 2016) with Des Laszlo. Also received the Huszka Jeno Prize in 1994. (24.hu)
• Menyhart Janos: Composer and guitarist. Composed hundreds of hits. Founding member of V'Moto-Rock. Wrote "Szabadsag vandorai" performed by Demjen Ferenc. Received the Knight's Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit in 2016 and the Mate Peter Prize in 2021. (ARTISJUS)
• Torok Adam (deceased): Composer, lyricist, flutist, and singer. Founded the Mini band in 1968, one of the most popular Hungarian bands of the 1970s. Released 23 albums and performed thousands of concerts. Received a posthumous ARTISJUS award. Known for songs including "Vissza a varosba" and "Kell a baratsag." (ARTISJUS)
• Laszlo Attila: Composer and songwriter. Received the ARTISJUS Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026 for light music composition. (ARTISJUS)

Video Guides

Similar PROs

• GEMA - Germany's performing rights organization
• OSA - Czech Republic's collective management organization
• SACEM - France's performing rights organization
• SIAE - Italy's performing rights organization
• ZAIKS - Poland's collective management organization
• PRS for Music - United Kingdom's performing rights organization
• Full PRO Directory - Browse all performing rights organizations

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 alongside performance royalties
• Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
• Blanket License - The licensing model used by ARTISJUS
• ARTISJUS Official Website - Visit ARTISJUS for membership and licensing information
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings