STIM (Svenska Tonsattares Internationella Musikbyra) is a Swedish non-profit membership organization founded in 1923 that licenses the public performance, broadcasting, streaming, and digital use of its members' musical works. It represents 113,181 songwriters, composers, and music publishers, collecting royalties from businesses that play music and distributing them based on usage data. In 2025, STIM collected SEK 3.07 billion ($290 million) in rights revenue and distributed SEK 2.66 billion to rightsholders in Sweden and abroad.
How STIM Works
STIM issues blanket licenses to radio stations, television networks, streaming platforms, concert venues, restaurants, retail stores, gyms, cinemas, and any business that plays music publicly in Sweden. License fees are collected and distributed to members based on performance data gathered from broadcast logs, TV cue sheets, streaming usage reports, and live concert set lists.
STIM operates as an economic association owned by its members. Membership is free for songwriters, composers, and publishers. In 2025, 3,529 new authors and 93 new publishers joined, bringing total membership to 113,181. Of these, 78,134 received compensation during the year. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected by members at the Annual General Meeting.
In 2025, STIM reached a historic milestone when domestic license revenues exceeded SEK 1 billion for the first time, totaling SEK 1.14 billion. This was driven by a strong live music year, higher market coverage, and a more data-driven approach to licensing and customer relations. Total rights revenue was SEK 3.07 billion, with over 50% coming from abroad, reflecting the global strength of Swedish music exports. Sweden is the EU's only net exporter of music.
Revenue breakdown for 2025 shows live music generated SEK 181.9 million (up from SEK 138.5 million in 2024), including SEK 172 million from concerts and festivals. Background music (shops, restaurants, hotels, gyms, workplaces) generated SEK 252.6 million. Radio brought in SEK 103.5 million, television SEK 153.5 million, and online interactive services SEK 449.97 million. Revenue via other collective management organizations totaled SEK 1.09 billion.
STIM distributed SEK 2.66 billion to rightsholders in 2025. Operating expenses were SEK 338.1 million, with group profit totaling SEK 24.8 million. The STIM sphere also includes Skap (the Swedish association of songwriters, composers, and lyricists), FST (the Society of Swedish Composers), and Musikforlaggarna (the Swedish Music Publishers' Association).
STIM operates the Stim Music Room, a free creative workspace in Stockholm for affiliated songwriters and composers, offering studio time and a co-working area. The organization has also taken a public position on AI-generated music, supporting human creativity and monitoring legal developments to adapt to the future of music and copyright.
Real-World Example
A Swedish songwriter joins STIM for free and registers 20 songs. A Stockholm radio station plays 10 of those songs in a given quarter, Spotify reports 500,000 streams of 15 songs, and a concert venue holds a STIM license for a live performance. STIM collects royalties from all three sources.
The songwriter receives a distribution based on the radio airplay logs, streaming usage data, and the venue's license fee. If the same songs are played on radio in the United States, STIM's reciprocal agreement with ASCAP and BMI means those PROs collect the royalties and remit them to STIM, which distributes them to the songwriter.
With STIM's 2025 distribution of SEK 2.66 billion across 113,181 members, a songwriter with 20 registered songs receiving regular airplay on Swedish radio and significant streaming activity might earn anywhere from SEK 5,000 to SEK 500,000 or more annually, depending on the scale of usage. A songwriter whose music streams globally can earn substantially more, since over 50% of STIM's revenue comes from international sources.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
If you are a Swedish songwriter, composer, or publisher, STIM membership is free and provides the only practical way to collect performance royalties when your music is played publicly in Sweden. Without it, you are not collecting royalties from radio, TV, streaming platforms, live venues, or businesses that play your music.
Register every composition with STIM before commercial release. Unregistered works earn zero royalties, even if they receive millions of streams. Submit accurate metadata including ISRC codes, ISWC numbers, and split sheets to ensure proper matching and payment.
Sweden's position as the EU's only net exporter of music means Swedish creators benefit disproportionately from STIM's international collection network. Over 50% of STIM's SEK 3.07 billion in 2025 revenue came from abroad. If your music streams on global platforms, STIM's reciprocal agreements with foreign societies ensure those royalties flow back to you.
STIM's 2025 record domestic revenue of SEK 1.14 billion reflects a growing Swedish music market, particularly in live performance. The SEK 181.9 million in live music revenue (up 31% from 2024) means gigging musicians who register their set lists with STIM can earn meaningful supplementary income from live performance royalties.
Take advantage of STIM's free resources. The Stim Music Room in Stockholm offers free studio time and co-working space to affiliated creators. STIM also provides scholarships and grants through its support programs. These benefits go beyond royalty collection and can directly support your creative work.
STIM at a Glance
| Feature | STIM |
|---|---|
| Territory | Sweden |
| Join fee (songwriters) | Free |
| Join fee (publishers) | SEK 300 (one-time, deducted from first payment) |
| Annual membership fee | None for songwriters. None for publishers beyond the one-time fee. |
| Overhead rate (2025) | 10.6% of revenue (management costs). Effective deduction 7.5% after investment returns. |
| Cultural deduction | Up to 10% of revenue after management costs (for music promotion, grants, education) |
| Distribution frequency | 4 times per year (quarterly) |
| Total members (2025) | 113,181 |
| 2025 revenue collected | SEK 3.07 billion ($290 million) |
| 2025 distributions | SEK 2.66 billion |
| International repertoire share | Over 50% of revenue from abroad |
How to Join STIM
- Fill out the online application form at stim.se or mail a signed membership contract.
- STIM reviews and approves your application (you receive email confirmation).
- Log in to My Pages (Mina Sidor) and register your songs/works with metadata including ISRC and ISWC codes.
- Report live performances by submitting set lists after each gig.
- Receive royalty payments up to four times per year.
Membership is free for individual songwriters, composers, and lyricists. You cannot join as a band. Each member who writes lyrics or music must take out an individual membership. Music publishers pay a one-time fee of SEK 300, which is deducted from their first STIM payment.
To become a voting member (with rights to participate in STIM's Annual General Meeting), a music creator must have received at least SEK 200 per year for three consecutive years. Publishers must have received payments amounting to at least the VAT registration threshold for three consecutive years.
Royalty Distribution Schedule
STIM distributes royalties on four payment dates per calendar year. Each distribution covers a specific settlement period based on usage data from broadcast logs, streaming reports, cue sheets, and live concert set lists. The February 2026 payout, for example, covered streaming and download usage from April through June 2025, plus payments from the USA and parts of Asia.
Royalty reports from digital services arrive with a 3-month delay. STIM processes this data and distributes payments across the four settlement periods. The minimum payout amount applies (you must earn above a threshold to receive a payment in a given cycle).
Overhead Rate and Deductions
STIM is a non-profit membership organization. It does not charge more than it costs to run operations. In 2025, management costs corresponded to 10.6% of revenue. STIM also earns returns on the capital it manages, which reduces the effective cost deduction to 7.5%.
In addition to management costs, STIM makes a deduction for cultural and educational initiatives (the Stim Forward Fund). This deduction is capped at 10% of revenue remaining after management expenses. These funds support grants to music creators, education programs, equality and diversity initiatives, and copyright protection work.
The transparency report for 2025 shows the actual deduction rates vary by revenue source. National licensing had a 14.1% management deduction. Directly licensed online content had a 9.3% deduction. Online interactive services in Sweden had a 9.6% deduction. Revenue via other collective management organizations had lower deductions since the partner society already deducted its own costs.
Reciprocal Agreements with Foreign Societies
STIM has reciprocal representation agreements (RRAs) with performing rights organizations worldwide. When your music is played in another country, the local PRO collects royalties and remits them to STIM, which distributes them to you. STIM also represents the world's music repertoire in Sweden through these agreements.
Major reciprocal partners include:
- United States: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, AMRA, AllTrack
- United Kingdom: PRS for Music
- Germany: GEMA
- France: SACEM
- Netherlands: Buma/Stemra
- Canada: SOCAN
- Australia/New Zealand: APRA AMCOS
- Japan: JASRAC
- South Korea: KOMCA
- Brazil: ECAD
- Nordic countries: KODA (Denmark), TONO (Norway), Teosto (Finland), STEF (Iceland)
STIM co-owns ICE Operations AB with PRS for Music and GEMA. ICE provides joint administration and pan-European licensing for online music services. STIM also co-owns NCB (Nordic Copyright Bureau) with KODA, TONO, Teosto, and STEF. NCB handles mechanical rights licensing for physical media (CDs, vinyl, DVDs) across the Nordic region.
Notable Members
STIM represents some of the world's most successful songwriters and composers. Sweden is one of only four net music exporters globally (alongside the US, UK, and South Korea).
- Max Martin (Karl Martin Sandberg): One of the most successful songwriters in pop history. Credits include Britney Spears' "...Baby One More Time," Backstreet Boys' "I Want It That Way," The Weeknd's "Blinding Lights," and dozens of Billboard Hot 100 number ones.
- ABBA (Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus): Songwriters behind "Dancing Queen," "Mamma Mia," "Waterloo," and the musicals Chess and Kristina fran Duvemala.
- Avicii (Tim Bergling): DJ and producer behind "Wake Me Up," "Levels," and "Hey Brother." Posthumous releases continue to generate significant STIM royalties.
- Shellback (Karl Johan Schuster): Frequent Max Martin collaborator. Credits include Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off," Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger," and Pink's "So What."
- Tove Lo: Singer-songwriter behind "Habits (Stay High)" and co-writer of Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do."
- Roxette (Per Gessle and Marie Fredriksson): Songwriters behind "It Must Have Been Love," "Listen to Your Heart," and "The Look."
- Cazzi Opeia (Moa Carlebecker): Prolific K-pop songwriter with over 4.8 billion Spotify streams. Credits include tracks for BTS, TXT, Red Velvet, and NCT 127.
- Ali Payami, Robin Fredriksson, Ilya Salmanzadeh: Swedish songwriters and producers behind hits for Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, and Katy Perry.
STIM Academy Video Series
STIM produces Stim Academy, a five-episode educational video series on YouTube in collaboration with NBL Nation. The series covers why songwriters need STIM, how royalties are collected, music rights and copyright law, how to register songs, and how music publishers work.
Compare STIM with Other PROs
- Buma/Stemra - Netherlands PRO (15.6% overhead, EUR 63.55/year membership)
- PRS for Music - UK PRO
- GEMA - Germany PRO
- ASCAP - US PRO
- BMI - US PRO
- SOCAN - Canada PRO
- KODA - Denmark PRO
- TONO - Norway PRO
- Teosto - Finland PRO
- SABAM - Belgium PRO
- SACEM - France PRO
- SUISA - Switzerland PRO
- JASRAC - Japan PRO
- APRA AMCOS - Australia/New Zealand PRO
- Full PRO Directory - Browse all performing rights organizations
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 STIM
- Collective Management Organization (CMO) - How CMOs operate globally
- STIM Official Website - Visit STIM for membership and licensing information
- Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to estimate your digital earnings
