Svenska Artisters och Musikers Intresseorganisation (SAMI)

SAMI (Svenska Artisters och Musikers Intresseorganisation) is Sweden's collective management organization for performing artists and musicians, founded in 1963 in Stockholm. It collects and distributes remuneration to performers when recorded music is played in public, broadcast on radio and television, or used in commercial venues. Unlike traditional PROs that represent songwriters and composers, SAMI represents the performing artists and session musicians who appear on recordings.

How SAMI Works

SAMI collects remuneration under Sweden's Copyright Act (sections 45-47), which grants performers the right to compensation when their recorded performances are used publicly. This covers music played in stores, hotels, gyms, restaurants, broadcasting, and other public venues.

SAMI operates as an economic association without profit motive. It was founded in 1963 by the Swedish Musicians' Union (Svenska Musikerforbundet) and the Theatre Union (Teaterforbundet). Since 1985, Sveriges Yrkesmusikersforbund (SYMF) has been an independent union whose members were previously part of the Swedish Musicians' Union.

SAMI also collects remuneration for phonogram producers through a separate agreement with IFPI Svenska Gruppen. Additionally, SAMI administers private copying remuneration (PKE), which compensates rights holders for private copying of recorded music.

In 2025, SAMI paid out 272 million SEK to 103,724 artists and musicians in Sweden and internationally, a 69% increase from the previous year. Total revenue for 2025 was 280 million SEK. SAMI also set aside 244 million SEK for future distributions, a record level. The organization had 58,714 directly affiliated artists and musicians at the end of 2025, up 4% year-on-year.

SAMI's international operations are a significant part of its activities. The organization held 72 reciprocal agreements in 57 countries at the end of 2025, collecting 78 million SEK from foreign organizations during the year, up 19% from 2024.

In 2024, SAMI's total revenue reached 580 million SEK, an exceptional year driven by the collection of a historic private copying debt of 308 million SEK. However, an EU court ruling (C-179/23) in late 2024 required SAMI to pause Swedish remuneration payments temporarily because certain administrative fees became subject to VAT. SAMI resolved this issue and resumed distributions in 2025.

A legislative change effective July 1, 2025, affected how SAMI reports music usage for businesses. Businesses that play music must submit usage reports, and failure to do so results in an invoice based on estimated information plus a 500 SEK administrative fee.

SAMI partnered with Soundtrack Technologies in February 2025, making Soundtrack the only B2B music streaming provider with a direct SAMI partnership for seamless music licensing for businesses.

CEO is Stefan Lagrell.

Real-World Example

A Swedish session guitarist plays on 20 recordings during a year. A Stockholm restaurant plays 10 of those recordings as background music, a radio station broadcasts 5 of them, and a gym streams a playlist that includes 8 of them.

SAMI collects remuneration from all three sources. The restaurant and gym pay licensing fees that include performer remuneration. The radio station pays broadcasting fees. SAMI allocates the collected remuneration to the guitarist based on the recording line-up information (inspelningslistor) submitted by producers and record labels.

If the same recordings are played on radio in Germany, SAMI's reciprocal agreement with GVL means GVL collects the remuneration and remits it to SAMI, which distributes it to the guitarist. In 2025, SAMI collected 78 million SEK internationally through these agreements.

A session musician who played on 20 recordings that receive regular public performance in Sweden might earn anywhere from 5,000 SEK to 100,000 SEK or more annually from SAMI, depending on the scale of usage. SAMI's 2025 distribution of 272 million SEK across 103,724 recipients means the average payment was approximately 2,620 SEK, though payments vary widely based on the number and popularity of recordings.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

SAMI is distinct from STIM, which represents songwriters and composers. If you are a performer or musician who has contributed to a recording (as a featured artist, session musician, backing vocalist, or instrumentalist), SAMI collects your performer remuneration. You can be affiliated with both SAMI and STIM if you are both a performer and a songwriter.

Join SAMI if you have participated in any recording that is commercially available. Membership is open to all artists and musicians who have contributed to a sound recording, from hobby musicians to international stars. Many SAMI members are session musicians and backing musicians who do not have royalty deals with record labels and depend on SAMI distributions as a supplementary income source.

Submit accurate recording line-up information (inspelningslistor) to SAMI. These forms identify which performers contributed to which recordings and in what capacity (singer, guitarist, sound engineer, etc.). Without this information, SAMI cannot allocate remuneration to you, even if your recordings are played extensively.

SAMI's 72 reciprocal agreements mean your performer remuneration is collected internationally. Swedish music has global reach, and recordings featuring Swedish performers are played worldwide. Ensure your recording credits are registered so international usage is tracked.

Note that on-demand streaming (such as Spotify) is not covered by SAMI's remuneration under section 47 of the Copyright Act. Streaming remuneration falls under the performer's exclusive right under section 45, which is typically transferred to the record label. SAMI has advocated for legislative reform to ensure performers receive streaming remuneration regardless of label contracts.

Membership and Fees

SAMI membership is free. There is no admission fee and no annual dues. Membership is open to all artists and musicians who have contributed to a sound recording, from hobby musicians to international stars.

How to Join

1. Complete the membership application form on SAMI's website.
2. Submit recording line-up information (inspelningslistor) for each recording you contributed to.
3. SAMI processes the application and confirms membership.
4. Ensure your recording credits are registered so SAMI can allocate remuneration to you.

If you are a performer who has contributed to a commercially available recording, you qualify for SAMI membership. You can be affiliated with both SAMI and STIM if you are both a performer and a songwriter.

Overhead Rate

SAMI's 2025 total revenue was 280 million SEK, with 272 million SEK paid out to 103,724 artists and musicians. The organization also set aside 244 million SEK for future distributions. SAMI operates as an economic association without profit motive. Operating costs are deducted from collected revenue before distribution.

SAMI's cost ratio is low compared to traditional PROs because it collects remuneration under statutory rights rather than issuing blanket licenses. The exact overhead percentage is not published separately in the same way as songwriter PROs, but the narrow gap between 2025 revenue (280 million SEK) and distributions (272 million SEK) indicates minimal administrative deduction for that year.

Royalty Distribution Schedule

SAMI distributes remuneration annually. In 2025, SAMI paid out 272 million SEK to 103,724 recipients. The average payment was approximately 2,620 SEK, though payments vary widely based on the number and popularity of recordings.

SAMI also set aside 244 million SEK for future distributions in 2025, a record level. This reserve exists because SAMI collects remuneration that may take time to allocate to the correct performers, particularly for international usage that requires reporting from foreign societies.

Distributions from foreign organizations are processed separately. In 2025, SAMI collected 78 million SEK internationally through its 72 reciprocal agreements.

Reciprocal Agreements

SAMI held 72 reciprocal agreements in 57 countries at the end of 2025. These agreements allow SAMI to collect performer remuneration when Swedish recordings are played abroad. They also allow foreign performers to receive payment when their recordings are played in Sweden.

In 2025, SAMI collected 78 million SEK from foreign organizations, up 19% from 2024. This international collection accounts for a significant portion of SAMI's total distributions.

SAMI's reciprocal partners include GVL (Germany), PPL (UK), SoundExchange (US), and similar neighboring rights organizations worldwide. These are separate from the reciprocal agreements maintained by STIM, which handles songwriter performance rights.

Notable Members

SAMI represents performing artists and session musicians rather than songwriters. Its 58,714 directly affiliated members include featured artists, backing vocalists, instrumentalists, and session musicians across all genres of Swedish recorded music.

SAMI does not publish a public list of notable members in the same way that songwriter PROs do. This is because SAMI's membership consists of performers rather than composers, and performer credits are tied to specific recordings rather than individual public profiles.

Many SAMI members are session musicians and backing musicians who do not have royalty deals with record labels. These members depend on SAMI distributions as a supplementary income source. The 2025 distribution of 272 million SEK across 103,724 recipients reflects this broad membership base.

SAMI vs Other Organizations

The table below compares SAMI against neighboring rights organizations and Nordic PROs.

SAMI is distinct from STIM. STIM represents songwriters and composers. SAMI represents performing artists and session musicians. If you are both a performer and a songwriter, you can join both organizations.

SAMI's free membership and low barriers to entry make it accessible to all performers. The trade-off is that SAMI does not cover on-demand streaming remuneration under current Swedish law. Streaming remuneration falls under the performer's exclusive right, which is typically transferred to the record label.

Video Guides

Similar PROs

• STIM - Sweden's performing rights organization for songwriters and composers
• KODA - Denmark's performing rights organization
• TONO - Norway's performing rights organization
• Teosto - Finland's performing rights organization
• SoundExchange - US neighboring rights organization for performers
• PPL - UK neighboring rights organization for performers
• GVL - German neighboring rights organization for performers

Related Resources

• Performing Rights Organizations (PRO) - What a PRO is and how it functions
• Performance Royalties - How performance royalties are generated and collected
• Neighboring Rights - How neighboring rights differ from performing rights
• Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
• SAMI Official Website - Visit SAMI for membership and licensing information
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings