Georgian Authors' Society (SAS)

SAS (Georgian Authors' Society, also known as Georgian Society of Authors and Composers) is Georgia's collective management organization for musical works, based in Tbilisi. It collects and distributes royalties for the public performance, broadcasting, reproduction, and synchronization of musical works on behalf of Georgian authors, composers, and publishers, and maintains reciprocal representation agreements with sister societies worldwide.

How SAS Works

SAS issues licenses to radio stations, television networks, streaming services, live concert venues, restaurants, retail stores, and any business that uses music publicly in Georgia. License fees are collected and distributed to rights holders based on usage data from broadcast logs, streaming reports, and concert set lists.

SAS operates under Georgia's Law on Copyright and Related Rights, which was enacted on June 22, 1999, in alignment with international copyright standards. The organization represents both Georgian rights holders and foreign rights holders through reciprocal agreements with collecting societies in other countries.

SAS is listed in international PRO directories as Georgia's representing society for musical works. It maintains reciprocal agreements with sister societies across multiple countries, enabling Georgian creators to collect royalties internationally and foreign creators to collect royalties for uses in Georgia.

The organization is based at 63 Kostava Street in Tbilisi. Contact is available by phone at +995 32 33-56-79 and by email at info@sas.org.ge.

Real-World Example

A Georgian composer registers 15 songs with SAS. A Tbilisi radio station plays 8 of those songs in regular rotation, a streaming service reports 500,000 streams, and a live concert at the Tbilisi Concert Hall features 5 of the songs in its set list.

SAS collects royalties from all three sources. The radio royalties are allocated based on airplay logs submitted by the station. The streaming royalties are allocated based on usage reports from the streaming service. The live concert royalties are allocated based on the set list submitted by the concert organizer.

If the same songs are played on radio in Turkey, SAS's reciprocal agreement with MSG (Turkey's music rights society) means MSG collects those royalties and remits them to SAS, which distributes them to the composer in the next distribution cycle.

A Georgian composer with 15 songs receiving regular airplay and moderate streaming activity might earn anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 Georgian Lari (GEL) or more annually from SAS royalties, depending on the scale of usage and their registered share of the works.

Why It Matters for Independent Artists

If you are a Georgian songwriter, composer, or publisher, SAS is the primary organization for collecting performance royalties in Georgia. Register every composition with SAS before commercial release. Unregistered works earn zero royalties, even if they receive extensive airplay or millions of streams.

Submit accurate metadata including ISRC codes, ISWC numbers, and split sheets. SAS's matching system processes usage data across radio, television, streaming, and live concerts, so correct metadata directly impacts how quickly and completely you get paid.

SAS's reciprocal agreements with foreign societies mean your music earns royalties internationally. Georgian music, including traditional polyphonic singing, contemporary pop, and electronic music, has growing global audiences. Ensure your works are registered so international performances are tracked and royalties flow back to you.

Georgia's copyright law (1999) provides protection for both economic and moral rights of creators. SAS operates within this framework to ensure creators receive fair compensation for the use of their works. If you are a foreign creator whose music is performed in Georgia, your rights are also protected through SAS's reciprocal agreements.

Territory Covered

SAS covers Georgia. It issues licenses to radio stations, television networks, streaming services, live concert venues, restaurants, retail stores, and any business that uses music publicly within Georgian territory. SAS operates under Georgia's Law on Copyright and Related Rights, enacted on June 22, 1999, which provides protection for both economic and moral rights of creators.

Important note: Effective January 1, 2024, the Georgian government accredited IPOA (Intellectual Property Owners Association) as the sole and exclusive collective management organization (CMO) on the Georgian market. This accreditation resulted in the revocation of authority for previously established CMOs, including SAS. CISAC and other international copyright organizations opposed this decision, expressing concerns about the fairness of the accreditation process. Songwriters and publishers in Georgia should verify the current status of SAS and IPOA before affiliating, as the legal framework for collective rights management in Georgia has undergone significant changes.

How to Join and Membership Fees

SAS accepts members who are authors, composers, or publishers of musical works. The membership process involves:

• Contacting SAS at its Tbilisi office (63 Kostava Street, Tbilisi, Georgia).
• Submitting proof of authorship or copyright ownership in musical works.
• Signing a rights management agreement granting SAS the authority to license and collect royalties on the member's behalf.

SAS does not publicly publish a structured fee schedule or minimum works requirement on its website. Prospective members should contact SAS directly by phone (+995 32 33-56-79) or email (info@sas.org.ge) to obtain current information on membership requirements and any applicable fees.

Given the 2024 accreditation changes in Georgia, prospective members should also verify whether SAS is currently accepting new members and what rights it is authorized to administer.

Overhead Rate

SAS does not publicly disclose its overhead rate or management fee percentage. The organization's financial reports are not published in a standardized format comparable to larger collecting societies like SACEM (9.8% expense ratio) or ASCAP (10-12% overhead).

For context, CISAC-member societies in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region typically operate with overhead rates ranging from 15% to 25%, reflecting smaller collection volumes and proportionally higher administrative costs. SAS's actual overhead rate may fall within this range, but this is an estimate based on regional norms rather than disclosed data.

Songwriters and publishers should request specific overhead rate information directly from SAS before affiliating.

Royalty Distribution Schedule

SAS does not publicly disclose its royalty distribution schedule. Based on the organization's operational model and regional norms for CISAC-member societies, distributions are likely made on a periodic basis (annually or semi-annually) after usage data has been collected and processed from broadcast logs, streaming reports, and concert setlists.

For context, comparable collecting societies in the region distribute as follows:

• Most Eastern European CISAC members distribute 1 to 2 times per year.
• Larger societies like PRS for Music (UK) and GEMA (Germany) distribute 4 times per year.
• International royalties collected by foreign sister societies are typically remitted to SAS in separate cycles, which can take 12 to 24 months from the date of performance.

Members should contact SAS directly for current distribution schedule information.

Reciprocal Agreements

SAS maintains reciprocal representation agreements with sister societies worldwide through its CISAC membership. These agreements enable:

• Georgian creators to collect royalties when their works are performed internationally.
• Foreign creators to collect royalties when their works are performed in Georgia.

SAS's reciprocal network includes agreements with collecting societies across multiple countries. For example, if a Georgian composer's music is played on radio in Turkey, SAS's reciprocal agreement with MSG (Turkey's music rights society) means MSG collects those royalties and remits them to SAS for distribution.

However, the 2024 Georgian government decision to acccredit IPOA as the sole CMO has affected the status of these reciprocal agreements. International copyright organizations including CISAC, IFRRO, SCAPR, IMPF, and IFPI have expressed concerns that the accreditation process disrupts the management of international rights, given the statutory transfer of bilateral agreements to the newly accredited CMO. Foreign societies should verify whether contracts with SAS remain valid or whether new contracts with IPOA are required.

Notable Members

SAS does not publicly publish a list of its notable members. The organization represents Georgian authors, composers, and publishers across various genres, including:

• Traditional Georgian polyphonic singing composers
• Contemporary Georgian pop songwriters
• Electronic music producers
• Classical composers
• Music publishers

SAS's former Director, Giga Kobaladze, has been publicly mentioned in connection with the organization's anti-piracy initiatives. In 2011, Kobaladze announced plans to monitor audio-video stores and piracy websites in Georgia to combat illegal distribution of music files and software.

The organization's membership base includes both individual creators and organizational members (publishing companies and record label copyright departments). Specific member names are not publicly available through SAS's website or international directories.

Comparison Table

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Similar PROs

• OSA - Czech Republic's collecting society, another Eastern European CISAC member with comparable operational scope
• Artisjus - Hungary's collective management organization, a regional CISAC partner
• UCMR-ADA - Romania's music copyright society, another Eastern European CMO
• STEF - France's mechanical rights society, a CISAC member with different rights focus

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 SAS
• Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
• Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings