June 2025

Distribution spotlight

From sample-based to full reporting for Local Radio music use

Koda has entered into a partnership with a new external provider that monitors radio channels and delivers comprehensive music reporting using music recognition technology.

This means that for the first time ever, the distribution for music use on local radio is now based on reporting that covers the entire broadcast schedule – as opposed to the previous method, which relied solely on samples. The June distribution covers the period Q4 2024.

The new reporting is significantly more comprehensive than before, but thanks to a simplified and streamlined file format across all stations, as well as improved metadata quality, the processing can now be automated to a far greater degree than before. In addition, reporting now takes place monthly, which means that, as of the next distribution in August, the Local Radio area will be included in Koda’s monthly distributions.

Major distribution within the Online area

The June distribution includes an exceptionally large distribution within the Online area. This is partly due to the annual distribution for Interactive TV Services and partly due to distributions from new VOD agreements that cover multiple years.

‘Interactive TV Services’ refers to the various ways in which TV distributors make linear TV channels’ content digitally available in their subscription offerings. Specifically, this includes music use in the playback of programmes from the beginning, viewing via catch-up archives, or recordings (NPVR) made by users. The distribution for Interactive TV Services covers usage throughout 2024.
Koda recently entered into agreements with the VOD services Apple TV+ and Sky Showtime, meaning that remuneration is now being distributed for these services for the first time. The distribution for Apple TV+ covers the period 2020–2024, while the one for Sky Showtime covers the period 2022–2024.

Blank audio and video media 2024

Koda is now ready to make the distribution for Blank Audio and Video Media 2024. The blank media scheme, which was revised in 2022, now covers a wider range of digital copying on tablets, smartphones, PCs and other digital devices. The amounts collected are divided into two separate distribution pools – one for audio media and one for video media – which are distributed based on analogous data from the areas music streaming and VOD services, respectively.
The portion of the video media pool allocated to DRTV is not included at this time, as the main distribution for DRTV has not yet taken place. An amount has been set aside for this purpose and will be distributed at a later date.

Distributions from France and Germany withheld due to tax issues

Two European collective societies, SACEM in France and GEMA in Germany, have been withholding payments to Koda since 1 January 2025. This is because authorities in France and Germany have indicated that distributions must be taxed locally in future, and efforts are being made to change this. We had hoped for a faster resolution, but as yet the distributions have been put on hold in the hope that the issues can be resolved before the end of the year. We do this to help ensure that our members avoid potential double taxation.

NCB newsletter for the June distribution