The drafting of the latest European AI Regulation (which went into force on 2 August in France) has revealed deep divisions between rights holders and “Big Tech”. The “code of good practice” in particular was watered down significantly during revisions, limiting obligations for AI stakeholders. A number of controversial exemptions resulted in certain music AI systems falling outside the scope of the regulation. In response, Sacem held meetings with key actors involved to express how dangerous these measures would be for the creative industry, and to propose solutions.

In the European Parliament, German MEP Axel Voss published a non-legislative own-initiative report in July on the subject of AI and copyright, that incorporated a number of demands put forward by Sacem: 

• Extraterritoriality, i.e. the application of European laws regardless of where AI companies are based
• The presumption of use, i.e. the legal presumption that protected works have been exploited by AI 
• The creation of a functional market operated by collective management organisations 
• Fair remuneration for creators as an absolute priority in any future legal framework

In the run-up to the AI Action Summit in Paris on 10 and 11 February, 34,000 artists and creators signed the “Stand Up for Culture” open letter, expressing their concern about the use of their works by generative AI without consent or authorisation.  

In response, the summit featured a round table discussion entitled “Creating a virtuous circle between AI, creative work and information”, which led to the incorporation of an international “Culture and Innovation” charter into the summit’s conclusions. Sacem actively contributed to the drafting of this charter, which sets out the following principles: respect for fundamental rights, including copyright; transparency towards creators regarding the use of their works; encouragement to negotiate licences; fair remuneration; and sanctions in the event of non-compliance.

Negotiations between AI developers and copyright holders began in June and, having reached an impasse, Sacem called for legislative intervention. On 27 November, Senators Laure Darcos, Agnès Evren and Pierre Ouzoulias announced the tabling of a bill “relating to the establishment of a presumption of use of cultural content by artificial intelligence providers”. Passed unanimously by the Senate on 8 April 2026, this bill proposes concrete and robust solutions. Sacem is actively working to have the bill placed on the National Assembly’s agenda.  

The Conseil supérieur de la propriété littéraire et artistique (CSPLA - Higher Council for Literary and Artistic Property) issued a report, adopted on 23 June, which made the case that creators need to be able to fully exercise their rights and control the use of their works. They also put forward a proposal to introduce a presumption of use in favour of creators. While national in scope, these measures will impact the broader geopolitical framework.  

The Groupement Européen des Sociétes d'Auteurs et Compositeurs (GESAC - European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers), representing over 1.2 million creators and chaired by David El-Sayegh, our Deputy Director General, has adopted a clear and decisive strategy on AI:

• Increasing transparency regarding the use of protected works for AI training
• Extraterritoriality with regards to buy-outs (the clearly expressed objection to the use of one’s works for AI training) 
• Fair compensation for creators and the creation of a licensing market
• Preserving man-made art in the face of dilution by AI-generated content

Following Universal Music – a partner for over 10 years – Sony Music, Warner Music and BMG have also chosen Sacem to manage their mechanical rights and revenues derived from the manufacture and sale of physical media (CDs, vinyl records, etc.). As the single European hub for the management of these rights, we now provide these players with a common service platform, making all operations simpler and more secure.

The Artist Centric Payment System, the first global agreement of its kind, put together in October 2025 in collaboration with Deezer, once again demonstrates our ability to innovate for the benefit of our members. This system allows us to more effectively redistribute the value of streamed content to creators, and in so doing, better prepare for the future as generative AI continues to grow.

Officially established in April, the Emirate Music Rights Association is the Gulf’s first Collective Management Organisation in the United Arab Emirates. Since its inception, Sacem has demonstrated its ability to support emerging CMO models around the world. Discussions are underway with other countries to assist them in setting up their own collective management organisations.

We have concluded agreements with various French film unions and producers to negotiate the payment of rights for film sales in international markets. A major step forward for composers and publishers whose works are used in countries where the local collective management organisation is not authorised to collect royalties from cinemas.

Sacem’s rigorous market analysis of the shifting audio landscape led to a subsequent pricing adjustment for its exclusive repertoire.

Two new exclusive contracts licensing work from the Sacem repertoire and incorporating a revised payment schedule.

In partnership with the Association of French Mayors, our network is working to simplify licensing contracts for small communities across France, key players in music distribution. This mechanism supports local initiatives by simplifying processes, bringing culture within everyone’s reach, across the whole country, all while ensuring fair remuneration for creators.

In 70,000 shops across France – with 12,000 more joining this year – the staff proudly display their “Ici on aime la musique” (“We love music here”) label, handing out vouchers to reward customers who choose to shop at these establishments where everyone works to the sound of music. Initiated and run by Sacem, the campaign has been a hit, with twice the number of participants as last year.

Music is an essential part of social life in cafes, hotels, campsites and restaurants, which is why Sacem launched the “Tous en live” (“All Together”) scheme to help cover the costs of organising live concerts. This initiative has already funded more than 5,000 concerts across France, giving more than 3,500 artists the chance to perform for an audience, and benefiting more than 2,000 venue operators. Without our support, many of these concerts may never have seen the light of day!

Whether you’re buying or renting equipment, putting on a music show, finding musicians or technicians, promoting your event, or managing ticket sales… Sacem negotiates preferential rates and special offers. Find out more on Sacem Connect.

By 2025, processing volume across all platforms (downloads, music streaming and video-on-demand services) reached a staggering 50 billion lines of processed declaration data.

Thanks to our growing reliance on new, dedicated tools for audio-visual data collection, processed data has increased by 144% over the past year.

A critical issue for Sacem, one we are tackling with the help of a dedicated cross-functional team with members from all departments, using increasingly detailed risk mapping, developing new technologies, new procedures, and new strategic partnerships.

A new, fully-digital supplier registration process, and the automation of banking detail authentication on the member portal.

By automating and standardising our processes, we’ve made significant strides in identifying music usage and, as a result, our pay-outs reach creators faster than ever.

Our new simulator tool, currently focused on “Television” distribution streams, is expected to expand to other streams so our users can evaluate how changes to pay-out rules might affect their revenues.