Online music

If you want to livestream online and use music, you need a licence from Stim. You need a licence if you plan to:

• Livestream a concert, festival, performance, webinar, exercise class, etc.
• Publish video content that includes music on your website.
• Synchronise music and moving images in smaller productions.

How to livestream online and make sure songwriters get paid

Option 1: Stream on a platform that has an agreement with Stim

If you stream on a digital platform, choose one that has an agreement with Stim. In that case, the platform owner is responsible for paying the licence fees.

For example, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and Vevo have agreements negotiated by Stim (via ICE). This means you can stream or distribute music on these platforms without paying anything extra, while songwriters still receive the compensation they are entitled to.

Please note: What types of music use are permitted is governed by each platform’s terms of service.

Option 2: Livestream on your own website or app

If you livestream on your own website or in your own app, you need to obtain a licence from Stim so that songwriters get paid. You can easily choose a licence package in Stim’s shop. There are two options: one for free events and one for events behind a paywall.

Important: If you are not performing the music live, but using pre-recorded music, you also need permission from the record company that owns the recording (master rights). Contact IFPI to get the contact details for the relevant record company.

Here you can find Stim's licenses for streaming online

How does music work in VOD?

When music is used in a VOD production, the rights must be cleared—just as they are for other public uses of music. There are several types of rights to keep track of:

1. Synchronization rights (sync)
   Permission to use a musical work (composition) together with moving images. This approval comes from the rightsholders—often via a music publisher.
2. Master rights
   If you use an existing recording (not only the composition), you also need permission from the owner of the recording—usually a record company.
3. Public performance rights
   When the work is made available to the public (for example via streaming), remuneration must be paid to the creators. In Sweden, this is managed by Stim for composers and lyricists.
4. Stim licence for VOD
   If you, as a platform or producer, make music available in a VOD service, you need a licence from Stim. This licence covers the public performance right, but does not cover synchronization or master rights—you must clear those separately.

What does it cost?

Please note: a minimum fee applies
The royalty fee is calculated based on the subscription service’s total monthly revenue. The minimum fee is based on the total number of subscribers per month.

The music licence fee is the higher of:
a) the royalty fee, or
b) the minimum fee.

Do you want to play music on your website, run web radio, include music in your app, or offer music downloads? With Stim’s Online licence, you can use music in one or more of the areas listed above.

The licence is intended for businesses with limited online music use (up to 15,000 user sessions per month) and little or no revenue linked to that use (up to SEK 5,000 in music-related revenue per month).

How much does the Online licence cost?

The Online licence has two tiers: Basic and Premium.

• Tier 1: Basic — SEK 435 per month (up to 5,000 user sessions per month)
• Tier 2: Premium — SEK 1,244 per month (up to 15,000 user sessions per month)

If you have more than 15,000 user sessions per month, or if none of the categories on this page apply to your service, please contact Customer Service to discuss a tailored agreement.

If your music-related revenue exceeds SEK 5,000 per month, the Online licence does not apply. In that case, contact us as described above and tell us about your service, and we will propose a pricing model that fits your business.

With a Stim podcast music licence, you can play music in your podcast. This applies whether you want to use part of a song, play music in the background, stream live, or have received permission from an artist to use a specific track. A Stim podcast licence gives you quick access to music from around the world — and helps ensure that music creators get paid.

How much does a podcast licence cost?
Podcast licences are available from SEK 436 per month. The price is based on an estimate of the number of episodes you publish each month, the average amount of music used per episode, and your average number of listeners.

Please note: If you use commercially released recordings, you also need a separate licence from the record company (master rights). If you want to use music as an intro, theme, or signature tune (not just background music), you must contact the rightsholder directly — usually via the publisher and the record company, or directly with the artist if no publisher/label is involved.

To use copyrighted music in a YouTube video, you need permission from the rightsholders. One option is to contact and negotiate with all relevant rightsholders for the song(s) you want to use. If permission is granted, you pay an agreed fee. Rightsholders set the price, and costs can vary from song to song.

An alternative is to subscribe to Cora Music, a music service owned by Stim. The service offers an extensive library of popular tracks and high-quality sound effects, tailored for video creators.

For SEK 249 per month, you get unlimited access to music and sound effects that you can use in videos on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. The licence remains valid for videos you have already published, even if you cancel your subscription.

Please note: Cora Music is intended for private individuals and non-commercial use. If you plan to use music in a commercial context—such as advertising or corporate communications—you need to obtain permission directly from the rightsholders.

To learn more and start a subscription, visit Cora Music.

ICE is the name of Stim’s collaboration for cross-border licensing and the management of music rights. ICE is jointly owned by Stim, the UK collecting society PRS for Music, and the German collecting society GEMA.

Since 2009, Stim and PRS for Music have operated the joint database ICE. In the summer of 2015, GEMA became a co-owner, and the parties formed the joint licensing company ICE Services. At the same time, the original ICE organisation was renamed ICE Operations.

ICE Services was the first operator within the EU able to offer both licensing and efficient data management across all three societies’ repertoires.

• ICE Operations is responsible for works data management, as well as matching and processing data from digital music services.
• ICE Services provides business support and service offerings, as well as pan-European licensing of music rights for digital platforms.

Both companies are jointly owned in equal shares by Stim, PRS for Music and GEMA.