I received a payment from ADAMI, but I am only affiliated with PlayRight. Is this possible?

It is a question we receive regularly with PlayRight and the answer is: Yes, it is possible.

ADAMI is a collective management organisation for the neighbouring rights of performers in France, like PlayRight in Belgium. If you have given PlayRight the mandate to manage your rights worldwide, ADAMI will transfer us the rights they collect for you in France. In this way, you receive all payments via PlayRight.

But sometimes, ADAMI pays non-affiliated performers directly. Their communication speaks about the payment of wages. But that’s not entirely correct. These payments certainly concern the neighbouring rights you have on your performances, mainly those of actors. They include for example the payment by ADAMI of cable retransmission rights collected by French producers from their French collecting society ANGOA. ANGOA collects these amounts directly from the cable companies in France and receives remunerations for the cable retransmission in other countries (including Belgium) through AGICOA.

Based on collective agreements for film, television and dubbing in force in France, comedians receive a certain percentage of the revenues that French producers (and broadcasters) get from the exploitation of their films and series. This concerns revenue earned from cable retransmission and (re)broadcasts on certain channels.

In theory, producers and broadcasters should pay these remunerations to the actors themselves, but in order to simplify the payment process, the payment to the actors is done with the help of ADAMI. In its role of payment institution, ADAMI is not limited to its own members. So, even if you are not affiliated with ADAMI, they will pay you.

Why does ADAMI not exchange these neighbouring rights with PlayRight?

Because – in accordance with the collective agreements – the payment of these rights must be accompanied by the payment of a contribution to social security. To be able to make this contribution, ADAMI needs a social security number. And PlayRight cannot provide this number because it is not in our database. They receive this information from the producers and broadcasters who hired you as an actor.

Are these payments then wages?

No, although they come from your employer and the term “wages” is used in ADAMI’s communication, these are neighbouring rights. You can declare them in tax return as rights under codes 1117-1119.

Will I then also receive a French pension?

If you have a French social security number, all these payments are well recorded, and you will build up a little social security in France. If you work a lot for French (or other foreign) producers, it is worth taking a closer look. If you work abroad but live in Belgium, you are officially a “frontier worker” and certain conditions allow you to apply for protection in Belgium, based on social security contributions abroad. By working abroad, you therefore contribute to your social protection in Belgium. For more information about your rights as a frontier worker, you can contact the National Office of Social Security.