SUISA's General Meeting approves emergency support fund for authors and publishers of music in Switzerland and Liech-tenstein

Zurich, 01 July 2020–, SUISA is going to support the composers, lyricists and publishers of music in Switzerland and Liechtenstein with an emergency support fund of CHF 1.5 million. This substitutes copyright royalties that SUISA members lose due to the cancellation of events and closure of businesses ordered by the authorities. The relief measure was approved by the SUISA Board of Directors in April in view of the current precarious situation for music professionals. The SUISA General Meeting approved the emergency support fund by a large majority on 26 June.

SUISA members have already had the option of receiving an advance on future copyright revenues. This advance scheme has been extended. In addition, SUISA's authors who found themselves in an existential, financial hardship could apply for support payments from the Pension Fund. With the newly created emergency support fund, SUISA's existing assistance to its members was supplemented by an additional measure. The emergency support fund cannot be used to finance loss of income, but it can finance losses due to lack of income from copyright.

Melanie Oesch newly elected into the SUISA Board of Directors
SUISA members entitled to vote also elected the Swiss yodeller, singer, composer and publisher Melanie Oesch to the Board for the current term of office until 2023. Melanie Oesch is, as part of Oesch's die Dritten, one of the most successful representatives of traditional folklore music. She replaces Reto Parolari, who has been a member of the Board of Directors for many years. A successful composer and conductor, Reto Parolari passed away unexpectedly last December.

In addition, music publisher Michael Hug was elected to SUISA's Distribution and Works Committee (VWK), also for the current term of office until 2023. He replaces Grégoire Liechti, who was elected to the SUISA Board of Directors last year. Michael Hug is Managing Director of the Ruh Musik AG publishing house, founded in 1910. The VWK is made up of SUISA members and deals in particular with questions concerning the distribution of SUISA's revenues.

Very good 2019 annual result for SUISA
SUISA's members also approved the 2019 annual accounts of their Cooperative. Last year SUISA achieved the best result in its history and is able to distribute CHF 135 million to composers, lyricists and publishers of music. Thanks to a favourable cost deduction of 13.07% on the statements of account to rights holders, SUISA is able to distribute about 87 of 100 Swiss Francs of its income to composers, lyricists and publishers of music.

For the first time in SUISA's history, the General Meeting was held in written form due to the Covid-19 pandemic this year. For the first time in the Cooperative's history, SUISA members were able to vote and elect by post and, in the case of some members from abroad, by e-mail.

All the detailed results of SUISA's General Assembly 2020 can be found online at www.suisa.ch/en/members/general-assembly.html

On the SUISAblog you will find a contribution to this year's General Meeting and a video interview with Melanie Oesch: https://blog.suisa.ch/en/suisa-general-meeting-emergency-fund-for-authors-and-publishers-approved/

SUISA's 2019 annual report is available online at www.suisa.ch/annualreport  

Further information:

Giorgio Tebaldi
Head of Communications SUISA
Tel. +41 44 485 65 03
E-mail: giorgio.tebaldi@suisa.ch

 About SUISA

SUISA is the cooperative society for composers, lyricists and music publishers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Its 38,000 members include music professionals from all disciplines. In Switzerland and Liechtenstein, SUISA represents the musical repertoire of two million authors worldwide. It grants licences to use this repertoire to more than 120,000 customers. In 2017, SUISA and US performance rights organisation SESAC founded the joint venture Mint Digital Services. The company manages invoicing and administration for the transnational music licensing businesses of SESAC, its subsidiary the Harry Fox Agency and SUISA with online providers, and also offers its services to publishers.

With approximately 250 employees in Zurich, Lausanne and Lugano, SUISA generates a turnover of more than CHF 160 million. As a non-profit organisation, it distributes the proceeds from licences to music authors and publishers after deducting the administrative costs. www.suisa.ch