Guides
Music publishing in France
How music publishing actually works in France: who claims which rights, what the national copyright system does, and what it takes for a publisher to set up and collect.
Who claims which rights
Performance and mechanical: SACEM (with SDRM for reproduction licensing). Sync: direct.
Copyright registration in France
Automatic under Berne; no registration system. French practice relies on contracts and the society's records; some publishers use notarial or SACEM deposit for evidence.
Setting up to claim publishing rights
SACEM admits foreign publishers directly: the requirement is proof that at least four works are commercially exploited, with an admission fee of about €300. The practical catch is operational, not legal — French registrations, statements, and correspondence assume French-language administration, which is why many foreign publishers still appoint a French sub-publisher even though direct membership is open.
The societies
SACEM — each linked page covers the society’s history and how registrations reach it.
Two free checks for your CWR file. Is the file correct? Every record, share and control total against the spec, each problem on its exact line. Do its writers match their registrations? Every writer cross-checked against public registration data, including works registered under another spelling or IPI. Nothing stored: check a file at cwrcheck.com.