PlayRight has just completed the first distribution of audiovisual rights for the 2025 reference year! The total amount involved is 331.505,83 € of neighbouring rights coming from cable rights, lending rights and the remuneration for education and scientific research of audiovisual recordings that were broadcast and/or exploited in 2025. A second, final distribution will take place in 2029.

Private copying rights not included in PlayRight’s first distribution of AV 2025

Private copying rights will not be included in PlayRight’s first distribution of audiovisual rights for 2025, as the collecting societies and rightsholders involved have yet to reach an agreement on how these rights should be allocated among the different repertoires.

Auvibel, the organisation responsible for private copying collections, now collects almost exclusively from multimedia devices such as laptops, smartphones, and tablets.  A distributions formula is used to determine how each euro collected should be allocated among music, audiovisual material, as well as literary and graphic works. Negotiations on this formula have been ongoing since spring.

PlayRight is taking a constructive approach on this issue, but it faces a governance issue within Auvibel: PlayRight is the only collecting society representing performing artists, while the societies for authors and publishers hold eight and seven votes, respectively, on the Board of Directors and at the General Assembly. In the short term, PlayRight will continue to work towards a fair solution for its members. We will keep you informed as soon as we receive any further news on this issue.

First/final distribution: how does it work?

PlayRight always carries out the distribution of your rights as an actor in two stages. This is the first distribution of audiovisual rights for the reference year 2025.

A second (final) distribution will take place in 2029. The deadline for declaring your repertoire is 31 December 2028.

How are my rights calculated?

For this distribution, the Board of Directors established a list of TV channels that are taken into account in the calculation in accordance with our General Regulations. These channels must be aimed at a Belgian audience.

A global amount of rights is allocated to each audiovisual work that appears in the playlists. This amount is determined based on the duration of the work, the time of broadcast and the market share of the channel. The total amount allocated to a work is then divided amongst the performing artists who have participated, depending on their role on that recording.

Important: the legislative change of 11 June 2026 affects the amount you receive from PlayRight. You will find all details here.

Please note

Music performances in an audiovisual recording might also generate neighbouring rights. In other words, a musician might also be entitled to audiovisual rights for the presence of his or her music in a work, provided that the music performance was produced specifically for the audiovisual work in question.

Dancers, magicians and conductors also receive royalties when they participate in an audiovisual work. However, only music composed specifically for that audiovisual work is eligible for this distribution.

Any questions? If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact your Account Manager. His or her contact details can be found via your personal online portal.