Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de Venezuela

SACVEN (Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de Venezuela) is a non-profit civil association founded on May 16, 1955 that represents over 13,000 national and foreign authors and composers in Venezuela. It collects, administers, and distributes patrimonial rights generated by the exploitation of musical, dramatic, literary, choreographic, and audiovisual works, and is authorized by the Venezuelan government as the country's primary collective management organization for authors' rights.

How SACVEN Works

SACVEN was founded by Luis Alfonzo Larrain (known as El Mago de la Musica Bailable) and 39 Venezuelan authors of the era, including Jesus Sanoja, Luis Maria Frometa (Billo), Jesus Corrales Sanchez, Jacobo Erder, and Anibal Abreu. The organization became an associate member of CISAC (Confederation Internationale des Societes d'Auteurs et Compositeurs) in 1964 and a regular member in 1968, connecting it to the global network of collecting societies.

SACVEN operates under Venezuela's Copyright Law (Ley sobre el Derecho de Autor) and its regulations, along with Decision 351 of the Cartagena Agreement Commission. It was officially authorized as a collective management entity by the Direccion Nacional del Derecho de Autor (DNDA) through Resolution No. 36.065 on October 15, 1996, published in Official Gazette No. 36,065.

The organization issues licenses to cable television companies, radio broadcasters, television networks, streaming platforms, concert venues, restaurants, retail stores, and any business that uses music or other protected works publicly in Venezuela. SACVEN sets tariff rates and publishes them in two national circulation newspapers, as required by law. Tariffs take effect 30 days after publication.

SACVEN distributes royalties to members based on usage data collected from licensees. The organization manages patrimonial rights across multiple categories of works: musical works with and without words, dramatic works, dramatico-musical works, literary works, choreographic or pantomimic works, and audiovisual works (both original and derivative).

Through CISAC membership, SACVEN maintains reciprocal agreements with collecting societies worldwide. When Venezuelan members' works are performed abroad, the foreign society collects royalties locally and transfers them to SACVEN for distribution. SACVEN also represents foreign societies' repertoires in Venezuela.

In 2024 and 2025, SACVEN experienced a leadership transition following the death of its president, Maestro Many Delgado. The organization held an extraordinary assembly in September 2025, convened by the Twelfth Municipal Court of the Metropolitan Area of Caracas. In February 2026, another extraordinary assembly was held at the auditorium of the Generalisimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base in La Carlota, where members approved modifications to the organization's statutes to restore administrative normalcy. Dra. Marcel Sanchez serves as Director General, leading SACVEN through this transition period.

Venezuela has two authorized collective management entities: SACVEN (for authors' rights) and AVINPRO (for neighboring rights, covering performers and producers).

Real-World Example

A Venezuelan songwriter joins SACVEN and registers 30 songs. A Caracas radio station plays 8 of those songs in a given quarter, a cable television network uses 5 songs as background music, and a concert venue holds a SACVEN license for a live performance where the songwriter performed 10 songs.

SACVEN collects royalties from all three sources based on the published tariff rates. The songwriter receives distributions according to the radio airplay logs, television usage reports, and the live performance setlist submitted to SACVEN.

If the same songs are played on radio in Colombia, SACVEN's CISAC membership and reciprocal agreement with SAYCO (Sociedad de Autores y Compositores de Colombia) means SAYCO collects those royalties locally and transfers them to SACVEN, which distributes them to the Venezuelan songwriter.

A Venezuelan composer with 40 registered works receiving regular airplay on national radio and television, moderate streaming activity, and live performances at licensed venues might earn anywhere from USD 1,000 to USD 20,000+ annually in SACVEN royalties, though amounts vary significantly due to Venezuela's economic conditions and the local currency exchange rate.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are a Venezuelan songwriter, composer, or author, SACVEN is the primary organization for collecting your royalties in Venezuela. It is the only government-authorized CMO for authors' rights in the country, which means there is no alternative for domestic royalty collection.

Register every work with SACVEN as soon as it is commercially released. Provide complete metadata: title, writers, publishers, ownership splits, and ISWC numbers. Unregistered works earn zero royalties, even if they receive extensive airplay or streaming.

SACVEN's CISAC membership provides international royalty collection through reciprocal agreements with collecting societies worldwide. If your music is performed or broadcast outside Venezuela, those royalties flow back to you through SACVEN. You do not need to join a separate PRO in each country.

Be aware that Venezuela has two collective management entities. SACVEN handles authors' rights (songwriters and composers), while AVINPRO handles neighboring rights (performers and producers). If you both write and perform music, you may need to register with both organizations to collect all the royalties you are owed.

SACVEN publishes its tariff rates in national newspapers and its financial statements after the annual general assembly, which is held in the second half of March. Members can participate in these assemblies and vote on organizational matters. If you believe a tariff set by SACVEN is abusive, you can appeal to arbitration through the Direccion Nacional del Derecho de Autor within 10 business days of publication.

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