
AKM Austria, or AKM/Austro Mechana, is a non-profit collective management organisation that ensures music creators such as composers, lyricists, and publishers get paid when their music is used publicly. AKM administers performing rights, broadcasting rights, and provision rights in musical works with or without text from composers, authors, their legal successors, and music publishers in Austria. The organisation is structured as a cooperative, with full members consisting of the Curia of Composers, the Curia of Authors, and the Curia of Music Publishers. AKM and Austro Mechana pay the proceeds to their members directly and, in the case of members of sister companies, internationally through those companies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Description | AKM Austria is a Collective Management Organisation that ensures music creators get paid when their music is used publicly. |
| Work | AKM Austria administers performing rights, broadcasting rights, and provision rights in musical works with or without text from composers, authors, their legal successors, and music publishers in Austria. |
| Members | Music creators, composers, authors, music publishers, and royalty recipients. |
| Payments | Authors receive payments for the use of their works in concerts, events, clubs, background music, broadcasts, etc. |
| Location | Baumannstrasse 10 1030 Vienna, Austria |
| Contact | +43 50717–19000 |
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What You'll Learn

AKM Austria is a Collective Management Organisation
AKM Austria issues four statements per year and, depending on the usage of the work, members can receive up to eight payments per year. Before distribution, AKM deducts operating expenses incurred, which have amounted to around 10-12% in recent years—a low value by international comparison. The remainder is paid to members directly, or, in the case of international members, via sister companies.
AKM Austria administers performing rights, broadcasting rights and provision rights in musical works with or without text from composers, authors, their legal successors and music publishers in Austria. It stands up for every single musician and ensures that music creators—people who compose music, write lyrics or publish them—get paid when their music is used. This includes when their music is played at concerts, events and clubs, used as background music, broadcast on the radio or television, or made available on the internet.
AKM Austria is organised as a cooperative, with the general meeting of members consisting of all full members. The general meeting takes place once a year and is responsible for electing the board of directors and the supervisory board, approving the annual financial statements, amending the statutes and resolving the guidelines for cultural institutions.
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They ensure music creators are paid for public use of their music
AKM Austria and austro mechana are non-profit collective management organisations. They ensure that music creators are paid for public use of their music. They act as trustees, managing the rights of composers, authors, and music publishers. They are authorised by their members to administer their rights. This includes performing rights, broadcasting rights, and provision rights in musical works with or without text from composers, authors, their legal successors, and music publishers in Austria.
AKM and austro mechana ensure that musical authors and composers are fairly compensated when their works are used. They distribute the revenue to the musical authors and composers according to established rules. Copyright law protects each of their works as their own intellectual property from the moment of creation—no registration or application is required.
Music users can obtain the necessary licenses from AKM and austro mechana for a fee. This includes licenses to play music at events or in venues. As non-profit organisations, they only play a mediating role. They forward the money they collect to their members, the authors, composers, and publishers of music.
AKM and austro mechana pay the proceeds to their members directly. Before distribution, they deduct operating expenses incurred (AKM) or the commission fees (austro mechana). This expense deduction by AKM has amounted to around 10–12% in recent years, a very low value by international comparison. They also use this to cover the costs of social and cultural grants and promotional opportunities for AKM members.
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They collect and distribute royalties to their members
The Austrian performing rights organisation AKM (Authors, Composers and Music Publishers) collects and distributes royalties to its members for their musical works. This includes royalties from
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They provide licenses to those who want to use music publicly
AKM Austria (Autorinnen, Komponisten und Musikverleger) is a non-profit collective management organisation that ensures music creators receive payment when their music is used publicly. They provide licenses to those who want to use music publicly. This includes event organisers, producers, TV stations, etc. who need licenses to use copyrighted music in Austria.
AKM Austria represents the performing and broadcasting rights of its members, which include composers, authors, their legal successors, and music publishers. They also represent the mechanical rights of music authors and music publishers, which include their share of sales proceeds from audio and video recordings, as well as the royalties for the reproduction of their works.
AKM Austria ensures that music authors and music publishers receive compensation when their music is played at concerts, events, clubs, used as background music in cafes, restaurants, shopping centres, etc., broadcast on radio or television, or made available on the internet. They collect royalties for their members worldwide and pay the proceeds directly to them.
To obtain a license from AKM Austria, music users must pay a license fee. The rates for these licenses are agreed upon between AKM, Austro Mechana, and "user organisations" such as trade associations in the Chamber of Commerce. AKM Austria also offers information about programme registration, brochures, news, and useful links.
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They are organised as a cooperative
The AKM (Austria) is a cooperative that, along with austro mechana, ensures that music creators – people who compose music, write lyrics, or publish them – get paid when their music is used publicly. As non-profit organisations, they only play a mediating role, forwarding the money for this on to their members, the authors, composers and publishers of music. They are authorised by their members to administer their rights: AKM administers the performing rights, broadcasting rights and provision rights in musical works with or without text from composers, authors, their legal successors and music publishers in Austria.
The statute of the AKM represents the constitution of the AKM. The general meeting of members consists of all full members (cooperative members). It meets once a year for the ordinary general meeting. The most important competencies of the general meeting of members include the elections of the board of directors and the supervisory board and other AKM committees, the approval of the annual financial statements, the amendment of the statutes, and the resolution on the guidelines for cultural institutions. The supervisory board consists of six full members, two each from the Curia of Composers, the Curia of Authors and the Curia of Music Publishers; these are elected every five years by the general meeting of members.
Members of the AKM who are not full members (cooperative members) of the AKM, but who are solely connected to the AKM through a management agreement, are referred to as royalty recipients. At the meeting of those entitled to royalties which takes place prior to each general meeting of members, these people can elect delegates from their ranks. The delegates are allowed to take part in the general meeting of members with an advisory capacity, and on some matters, they are fully entitled to have a say.
Austro mechana is a limited liability company and a subsidiary of AKM. The managing director of austro mechana is Gernot Graninger, who is also the general director of AKM.
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Frequently asked questions
AKM Austria is a Collective Management Organisation that ensures music creators get paid when their music is used publicly. They administer the performing rights, broadcasting rights and provision rights in musical works with or without text from composers, authors, their legal successors and music publishers in Austria.
AKM Austria ensures music authors and music publishers receive compensation when their music is played at concerts, events, clubs, used as background music in cafes, restaurants, shopping centres, broadcast on radio or television, or made available on the internet. They collect license fees from music users (event organisers, producers, TV stations, etc.) and pass on the money to the relevant authors.
Depending on the usage of their works, music creators can receive up to eight payments per year from AKM Austria.











































