IT transition update: building a future-proof BumaStemra together

During the General Members’ Meeting on 13 May, we shared an update on the progress of our IT transition. With this transformation, we are building a future-proof organisation with modern systems, improved data management, and greater transparency for you as a rights holder. This will enable us to distribute royalties faster, more accurately, and more frequently on a one-to-one basis, while also keeping our operational costs under control.

The past period has been challenging for all of us. Technological transformation, changing market conditions, and new regulations have come together in what can best be described as a “perfect storm.” We understand that the impact of this goes beyond our internal processes and systems: for you as a rights holder, it directly affects your income and planning. We recognise that delays and changes have a direct impact on your day-to-day work. That is precisely why we are doing everything we can to reduce backlogs and work together with you towards a more stable situation. We greatly appreciate your patience and understanding during this process.

With our new systems and processes, we are taking important steps forward. These improvements will allow us to:

• distribute royalties faster and more frequently on a one-to-one basis, ensuring income is received in a timely and reliable manner;
• work more efficiently, enabling faster processes and improved services;
• provide greater clarity around distributions, with better insight into how and when royalties are processed;
• keep costs manageable, allowing us to continue building a future-proof organisation.

The international nature of the music industry brings additional complexity, particularly in relation to withholding tax. In order to apply the most favourable tax rate for you, we make agreements with sister societies abroad and, in some cases, with local tax authorities. These agreements have not yet been finalised for all countries. In several countries, including Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom, important progress has already been made and agreements are now in place.

Discussions with other countries, including the United States and France, have proven more difficult, and progress remains limited at this stage. For France, we have therefore decided to proceed with this year’s distribution. This means payments will be made using the current, higher withholding tax rate. At the same time, we remain committed to reaching more favourable agreements there as well.

Together with our international sister societies, we are also working on broader solutions at the European level.

Reducing distribution backlogs remains one of our highest priorities. We are doing everything possible to resolve part of these delays this year, with a peak in distributions expected in the second half of 2026. Our objective is clear: to continue reducing backlogs throughout 2026 and return to a stable, regular operation.

We will continue to keep you informed of developments and remain fully committed to building an organisation that is ready for the future.