SGAE to implement copyright fees for Holy Week music

The Spanish General Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE) is implementing a new system for collecting copyright fees related to Holy Week processional music. Following two decades of discussions and coordination with Musapro (the Association of Sacred Processional Music Composers), the collection process is expected to begin in 2027.

Under the proposed framework, the fees will not be charged to the musical bands that perform the music, but rather to the religious brotherhoods (hermandades) that contract them. The Ministry of Culture has initially suggested a fee of 7% of the total contract amount, though the final percentage is yet to be determined.

The measure has faced criticism from some composers who argue it complicates long-standing traditions and risks the commercialization of sacred music. Historical exceptions remain in place for authors who passed away before December 7, 1987, who are protected under previous legislation with an 80-year term.