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Film screenings with live music

Silent films with live accompaniment

Apply here for a licence to accompany silent films with music

Online form

Film music played live

Apply here for a licence for film screenings with live music

Online form

Are you planning to screen a film and have the film music played live? Or show a silent film accompanied by live music?

To screen the film, you have to apply directly to the film production company for a licence or, in the case of non-commercial screenings, to the MPLC.

In addition, you need a licence from SUISA for the live music.

Licence for film music played live

The licence fees for authors’ rights in film music are governed by the concert tariff (Tariff K). The fee is of maximum 5% of the ticket revenues or costs. This amount is reduced proportionately with the ratio of the duration of the music to the total duration of the film.
For more details, please consult the relevant fact sheet and Tariff K (available in German, French and Italian) below. If background music is run at the venue, you also have to licence that.

Licence for silent movies with live music

The licence fees for authors’ rights in live music are based on Tariff E. The fee for authors’ rights is 1.39%; for neighbouring rights, the fee is between 0.03% and 1.39% of the revenues – depending on the type of event.

If you are screening the film for free, you pay a daily or monthly flat fee. For more details, please consult the Fact Sheet and Tariff E below (available in German, French and Italian). If background music is run at the venue, you also have to licence that.

How to proceed:

Fill in the online licence application form and attach the “LIVE” programme form with your application. You can save the form and finish filling it in later.

After checking your application, SUISA issues you an invoice. The licence is valid as soon as payment is received.

From the payment proceeds, SUISA distributes the corresponding royalties to the entitled composers, lyricists, and publishers.

FAQ: Frequently asked questions

  • All musical events which are not private affairs must be declared. You do not need a licence to play music at an event attended by a small circle of close friends and relatives, such as a birthday party or a wedding. But as soon as you go beyond the private sphere, you have to declare the event and obtain a licence from SUISA.

  • The organiser has to apply for the licence. The organiser is the person or entity responsible for the use of the music, e.g. the owner or operator of a club, a radio or television station, or the association organising an event.

  • If you wish to perform protected music (or have it performed) in public, you must apply to SUISA for authorisation.

    All forms are available at this link.

    The forms should be completed and filed with SUISA no later than ten days after the concert. To calculate the royalties properly, SUISA needs to have a detailed list of the works performed, and a copy of your income and expenditures statement.

  • SUISA normally calculates the remuneration based on a concert's revenues. In the following cases, however, the cost of the music use serves as the calculation basis:

    • if the revenues cannot be established;
    • if the costs are higher than the revenues and the customer has not prepared a budget, or if the customer assumes from the outset that the costs will have to be fully or partially covered by his own funds;
    • charity events where the profit goes to the needy.