7 JULY 2017 (Updated 12 SEPTEMBER 2022)
Blog post by Adam Southall
Estimated read time: 2 minutes
In this blog post, we'll provide information about the SIAE music licence for weddings in Italy and answer some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on the topic.
Italian law establishes that those who organise a private event, show or any entertainment where copyrighted works are performed, live music or recorded, should ask the Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori (aka SIAE or Italian Society of Authors and Publishers) for a licence to hold this event.
🔑 Key point: It is the responsibility of the client booking the musicians to administer & pay the SIAE licence fee, not the musicians who you're hiring. There is a great amount of confusion in Italy about who is responsible for completing the SIAE forms. Your musicians or wedding planner can help with the process, but the client/booker of the live music must start the process, and pay the required amount.
So how much is the SIAE licence fee likely to cost?
Generally speaking, the fee will vary depending on the type of music (e.g. if it's live music performed by a band, for example, or a DJ) and the number of guests at the event.
• For live music, where there are fewer than 200 guests, the cost is €199.
• For live music, where there are more than 200 guests, the cost is €299.
• For a DJ, karaoke, or Spotify, where there are fewer than 200 guests, the cost is €79.
• For a DJ, karaoke, or Spotify, where there are more than 200 guests, the cost is €119.
• For liturgical music in a church, with any number of guests, there is no fee.
So if your wedding includes a live band and DJ, the total cost of the SIAE licence fee would be €278 (if you have fewer than 200 guests) or €418 (if you have more than 200 guests).
The following video explains a bit more about the SIAE fee...
Payment of the license from SIAE is due for any wedding party where live or recorded music is performed. The requirement also applies to other types of private events, such as baptisms, garden parties, birthday parties and corporate events.
We've put together some helpful frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the SIAE Licence for live wedding music in Italy...
For more information, please visit SIAE's official website.
We've translated the key information below...
The online portal allows you to obtain a license for a private party or wedding with the performance of pieces of music protected by the SIAE and to pay the compensation due for copyright and accessories (administrative procedural rights, any related rights and invoice VAT).
Private events mean weddings, baptisms, birthday parties, graduation parties and similar celebrations offered by individuals and reserved for invited guests only.
In the event that the music was not live but recorded, in addition to the remuneration for copyright, a fee is also due for the so-called related rights, due to the producers of the music and to the performers of the pieces.
For recorded music, we mean both playing through CD, DVD etc, and that performed by a DJ.
In order to use the online service for issuing permission and paying copyright (as well as any related rights) for private parties or events, the applicant must necessarily be both an adult (who enters their own tax code), and an occasional organiser of private events.
The payment of the copyright is due upon the issue of the permit. It will thus be possible to obtain the permit for free events quickly and easily, manage the music program in digital format and pay the amount due directly online.
— Adam is a co-founder of FixTheMusic and works on everything from copywriting and marketing to design and user experience. He studied Music at Cambridge University. Adam is a keen pianist, and also learned cello and trumpet from an early age.