Müzik Eseri Sahipleri Grubu Meslek Birliği

MSG (Musiki Eseri Sahipleri Grubu Meslek Birligi, or Musical Work Owners Group) is a Turkish collective management organization founded in 1999 and based in Istanbul. It grants licenses for the use of its members' musical works, collects royalties from music users, and distributes those royalties to rightsholders. With over 11,000 members and a catalog exceeding 1 million registered works, MSG represents composers, lyricists, publishers, and arrangers across Turkey. It is a CISAC member and maintains reciprocal representation agreements with foreign societies in over 100 countries.

How MSG Works

MSG operates under Law No. 5846 on Intellectual and Artistic Works, the same statute governing MESAM. Members assign their performing and mechanical rights to MSG, which then licenses music users across five categories.

Radio and Television: MSG identifies all radio and television broadcasters in Turkey (national, regional, local, satellite, and other categories), sends contract invitations, and signs licensing agreements. Royalties generated from these uses are distributed to MSG members. Legal action is taken against users who do not respond to contract invitations and are detected using works without authorization.

Public Places (UMK): MSG tracks and collects royalties for the use of members' works in hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, stores, shopping malls, transportation companies, gyms, hair salons, and all other venues where music is broadcast. Licensing is conducted nationwide through a Regional Law Office Structure, with authorized law offices and teams in each region handling field operations.

Live Performance, Concerts, and Events: Organizers are identified, contracts are signed based on annually announced tariffs, and royalty tracking and collection are conducted for works performed. Organizers must submit lists of works performed by main and supporting artists. Members can also report use of their works in concerts by submitting a Concert-Event Form.

Digital Licensing: Digital platforms offering music services, audiovisual OTT service providers, simultaneous internet broadcasts of terrestrial transmissions, and applications using music are licensed according to the type of music usage and scope of permission requested.

MSG is a CISAC member (joined CISAC, society ID 477) and maintains reciprocal representation agreements with foreign collective management organizations in over 100 countries. This enables MSG to represent international repertoire in Turkey and to collect royalties for its members when their works are performed abroad.

Real-World Example

A Turkish lyricist registers 40 songs with MSG. A national television network in Istanbul plays 12 of those songs in a given quarter under a MSG licensing agreement. Three hotels in Antalya hold MSG public place licenses for background music, and a concert organizer in Izmir hosts a event featuring 8 of the lyricist's works.

MSG collects license fees from all three sources. The television network's usage logs are matched against the lyricist's registered works. The hotel fees are allocated through the Regional Law Office Structure. The concert organizer submits a list of performed works, and royalties are distributed based on the annually announced tariff.

The lyricist receives a royalty distribution proportional to the logged and reported performances, minus MSG's administrative costs. If the same songs are played on radio in France, MSG's reciprocal agreement with SACEM means SACEM collects those royalties and remits them to MSG for distribution.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are a Turkish songwriter, composer, lyricist, publisher, or arranger, MSG is one of two main collective management organizations in Turkey (the other being MESAM). You must choose one. MSG's catalog of over 11,000 members and 1 million works makes it a significant player in the Turkish rights management sector.

Register every composition with MSG as soon as it is commercially released. Include correct split information, ISRC codes, and ISWC numbers. MSG's matching system depends on accurate metadata to connect usage data to your registered works. Unregistered works generate zero royalties even if they receive thousands of plays.

For concert and event performances, submit Concert-Event Forms to MSG to report use of your works. Do not rely solely on organizer submissions, as organizers may not always report accurately or completely. Self-reporting ensures your performances are captured in the distribution system.

If you are an international artist whose music is performed in Turkey, your home PRO should have a reciprocal agreement with MSG through CISAC. Ensure your works are registered with your home society so they can claim royalties from MSG on your behalf.

Potential Drawbacks

MSG was founded in 1999, making it younger than MESAM (1986). Some rightsholders perceive MESAM as having longer-established relationships with certain broadcasters and venues. Research both organizations before deciding which one to join. You cannot assign the same rights to both societies simultaneously.

MSG's Regional Law Office Structure for public place licensing means that enforcement and collection practices may vary by region. Some regions may have more active enforcement than others, which can affect how consistently royalties are collected from smaller venues.

The society's English-language website provides limited information compared to the Turkish-language version. Distribution schedules, tariff details, and membership requirements may require consulting Turkish-language resources or contacting MSG directly.

Territory Covered

MSG covers the territory of Turkey. It licenses music users across all 81 provinces of Turkey, including radio and television broadcasting, public performance in hotels, bars, restaurants, cafes, stores, shopping malls, transportation companies, gyms, and all other venues, live concerts and events, and digital platforms. Through reciprocal representation agreements with 75 foreign collecting societies covering over 150 regions in more than 100 countries, MSG also administers international repertoire within Turkey and enables Turkish members to collect royalties when their works are performed abroad.

How to Join and Membership Fees

MSG membership is open to composers, lyricists, arrangers, and publishers (including heirs and assignees) who hold rights under Turkish copyright law (Law No. 5846). Applicants must submit documents proving that at least one work of theirs has been publicly disclosed on digital platforms (excluding social media), or on radio, television, phonogram, opera, ballet, theater, or similar staged performances.

Membership fees as of January 1, 2025:

Applications are decided by the Board of Directors, and the applicant is notified in writing within 30 days. Reasons are provided in case of rejection. Accepted members are registered in the membership book with a serial number. Decisions regarding membership acceptance and type may be appealed by the rights holder within 1 month.

Overhead Rate

MSG's administrative overhead rate is not prominently published on its English-language website. The society deducts administrative costs from collected royalties before distribution, as outlined in the MSG Documentation and Distribution Directive approved by General Assemblies. Contact MSG directly at info@msg.org.tr for current overhead rate information.

Royalty Distribution Schedule

MSG distributes royalties on two separate schedules depending on the revenue type:

• Mechanical licensing royalties: Distributed 12 times per year, during the first week of each month.
• Digital and performance rights royalties: Distributed 4 times per year, in March, June, September, and December.

After each distribution period, a detailed report is prepared showing which works have been performed, downloaded, listened to, or reproduced. The report includes the name and year of the media where the work was used, the title of the film or series if applicable, the number of times and duration of usage, the total calculated royalty amount, and the net amount after deductions. Members can view their royalty earnings and reports in the "My Distributions" section on the Member Portal.

Reciprocal Agreements

MSG is a CISAC member (society ID 477, joined 2000) and a BIEM member. Through these memberships, MSG maintains reciprocal representation agreements with 75 foreign collecting societies covering over 150 regions in more than 100 countries. This enables MSG to represent international repertoire in Turkey and to collect royalties for its members when their works are performed abroad.

Notable reciprocal agreements include those with SACEM (France), GEMA (Germany), PRS for Music (United Kingdom), ASCAP (United States), BMI (United States), JASRAC (Japan), and SABAM (Belgium). MSG also publishes joint licensing tariffs with MESAM (Turkey's other main CMO) for general and mechanical licensing. In 2024, MSG announced a reciprocal agreement with GEMA.

Notable Members

MSG represents over 11,000 composers, lyricists, publishers, and arrangers across Turkey. Notable members include:

• Ferhat Gocer - President of MSG (elected to second term in December 2024 with 338 of 363 votes), Turkish pop singer, songwriter, and physician. 59 registered works with MSG. Also serves as president of MSF (Federation of Music Authors in the Music Industry)
• Asli Gokyokus - Board member, Turkish singer-songwriter
• Cansu Kurtcu - Board member
• Febyo Tasel - Board member, composer and arranger who has worked with artists including Nilufer, Funda Arar, and Ferhat Gocer
• Harun Surek - Board member
• Birol Namoglu - Board member
• Seda Akay - Board member
• Volkan Akmehmet - Board member
• Yuksel Baltaci - Board member
• Zeynep Alasya - Board member
• Zeynep Talu - Board member

Comparison Table

Videos

Similar PROs

• MESAM - Turkey's first and largest collective management society, founded in 1986
• SACEM - Societe des auteurs, compositeurs et editeurs de musique, France's PRO
• SABAM - Belgium's society of authors, composers and publishers
• SIAE - Italian society of authors and publishers

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 differ from performance royalties
• Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
• MSG Official Website - Visit MSG for membership and licensing information
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital performance earnings