Important information about the basic allowance and membership fee

Until now, BumaStemra deducted the membership fee for the upcoming year from the basic allowance of the current year. This deduction always took place in December. We’re changing this approach.

We will continue to pay out the basic allowance in December. However, starting in 2025, BumaStemra will charge the annual membership fee for that year in January. This means the following:

• In December, if you are eligible*, you will receive the full basic allowance (minus any negative balance).
• In January, the annual membership fee will be charged to your current account. Please note: no amount will be withdrawn from your bank account. If the balance in your current account is lower than the membership fee in January, a negative balance will occur. This will be offset by future payments until the balance becomes positive again, at which point the remaining amount will be paid out to you.

*You are eligible for a basic allowance if your music copyright earnings are less than €70 per year.