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 landscape.

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.

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