news|13 Jan 2025
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Sabam reveals details of 2017 tariff increases
Fees paid to the Belgian collection society will increase by up to 1.25% for both festivals and concerts as of 1 January
By Jon Chapple on 07 Nov 2016
Mø at Dour, one of the many festivals affected by the increase in Sabam tariffs, last year
image © Kmeron
Belgian performing rights organisation (PRO) Sabam has revealed full details of its much-criticised increases in festival and concert tariffs, scheduled for 1 January 2017.
The news Sabam (Société d’Auteurs Belge/Belgische Auteurs Maatschappij) was to increase rates was greeted with dismay by Belgian festival promoters when announced in August, with Rock Werchter/TW Clasic promoter Herman Schueremans saying the PRO would “kill the goose that lays the golden egg”.
In addition to increasing tariffs across the board, Sabam will as of 1 January include sponsorship and subsidies in festivals’ revenues, “when these revenues are clearly related to the event”.
The new tariffs are as follows (the numbers being total revenue in euros and the “2016” and “2017” columns showing the increase in fees):
Festivals
Concerts
Despite the Belgian industry’s misgivings, Sabam insists the new rates should have a “very limited” impact on individual events.
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