Criticism of SVT's handling of music rights: It's not okay

Composers who are affiliated with STIM, the Swedish composers' international music agency, have agreements that allow them to receive money every time their music is played in, for example, TV jingles.

But the Swedish music company Epidemic Sound works in a different way.

The company buys the rights to instrumental music from composers and resells it.

Instead of the composer's name, the company name "Epidemic Sound" is displayed as the author when the music is played.

The company also reserves the right to sell the music an unlimited number of times.

"Our industry is in crisis"

Now several international music organizations such as AEPO, ESCA and FIM are launching a call where they "want to stop Epidemic Sound's lawless business".

- Our industry is in crisis and those who are perhaps hardest hit are authors and performers, says Alfons Karabuda, chairman of SKAP, the interest organization for Sweden's music creators, who supports the call.

The composers have voluntarily signed contracts with these conditions.

What is the problem?

- When you are a weaker contracting party, you do not always have the choice to say no.

There are illegalities in Epidemic Sounds' contract.

One cannot be deprived of the non-profit right to one's music: the right to be associated with what one has created.

It is not in accordance with copyright law.

"Will enrich the music life"

It is common for the major Swedish TV channels to use music from Epidemic Sound.

SVT is one of the customers.

- SVT agrees that Epidemic Sound should be seen in the afterwords instead of printing out the authors who created the music.

Public Service must stand for diversity and to enrich a music and cultural life.

Then it is not okay to have an agreement with this company, says Alfons Karabuda.

But Rebecca Barzegar, chief negotiator at SVT, does not agree with the criticism.

- Epidemic Sound accounts for a small part of the music SVT uses, about 5-8 percent.

There is no illegality in their model.

You can waive the right to be named as the author.

"Not checked facts"

Epidemic Sounds CEO Oscar Höglund writes in an email to Kulturnyheterna that the copyright organizations are not on their feet.

He also writes that the composers receive half of the royalty income their music records.

"Once again, ECSA has ruled out Epidemic Sound without checking the facts with us.

Our door is always open for the organizations that want to contact us - or the musicians we work with - about how we support them creatively and financially through our payments and 50-50 royalty model. ”