Sociedad General de Autores y Editores

Sociedad General de Autores y Editores

The Spanish Society of Authors and Publishers (Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, SGAE) is the main collecting society for songwriters, composers and music publishers in Spain. It is similar to AGADU, ASCAP, GEMA, SADAIC, SACEM and SAYCO. The philologist, poet, composer, scriptwriter, movie and television director and producer Antón Reixa (1957) is the chairman of the Board of Directors since May 2012. SGAE was founded in 1889 as Society of Authors of Spain. In 1995, its name changed to Society of Authors and Publishers, seeking to accommodate cultural editors.

SGAE comprises more than 100,000 music, audiovisual and dramatic creators. Created in 1899,[2] its main mission is the protection of its members' rights for the use of their works throughout the world. These uses include mechanical reproduction, public performance, synchronization and many other forms of musical distribution. This process culminates in the collection and subsequent royalty distribution to its members.

With over 430 employees, more than 200 representatives in Spain, plus offices in the US, Brazil, Mexico, Cuba and Argentina, SGAE protects the rights of more than two million members from all over the world. It does so through reciprocal representation agreements entered into with 150 foreign societies which, in turn, administer and protect its members rights in their respective territories.

SGAE is not only an organism for the management of rights. Through its Fundación Autor, or in collaboration with cultural institutions, SGAE enhances its promise to promote the continuous formation of its members and the diffusion of their works around the world, aiding for their well-being, including the start-up of an assistance program with multiple features and social benefits.

In 2018, SGAE was involved in a television scam known as "La Rueda", where TV broadcasters played more of their personally owned music in late-night slots, leaving tens of millions of dollars less each year for other parties whose music is played on Spanish TV.[3]

  1. ^ es:Palacio Longoria
  2. ^ "SGAE, una entidad de gestión creada en 1899 y con cien mil socios". abc (in Spanish). 2011-07-01. Retrieved 2022-04-05.
  3. ^ "The Drain in Spain: Why Late-Night Spanish TV is Costing Global Music Publishers Tens of Millions a Year". Billboard.