Extraits d’un article paru dans “The NY Times” le 8 juin 2015, par Ben Sisario

“Publishers rely on national collection societies, like Sacem in France and GEMA in Germany, to compensate writers when their songs are played outside their home country.

But problems can easily arise, music executives say. A company like Spotify, for example, can represent thousands of sources of income, differentiated by country, account type and other factors. And each society maintains its own database of songs, making errors and conflicts almost inevitable. With accounting delays, it can take up to two years for a writer to be paid. And when money passes from one society to another, each takes a cut in the form of various taxes and fees, slicing away at the amount the writer ultimately receives.”

“Defenders of the international system point to the societies’ deep knowledge of their local territories and the strength they provide through collective licensing agreements, which protect all musicians, from stars to unknowns.