Teosto is the copyright organisation for composers, lyricists, arrangers and music publishers. NCB – Nordic Copyright Bureau is responsible for the administration of mechanical rights. In 2019 Teosto paid 51,3 million euros to rights holders (25 million euros were paid to domestic rights holders and 26,3 to foreign songwriters and publishers). Teosto's revenue was record-breaking in 2019 with a total of 72,1 million euros.

Gramex is a copyright society of performing artists and phonogram producers in Finland. Gramex has more than 56,000 rightsholder client contracts with performers and producers. Gramex paid 19,8 million euros to rights holders (9,6 million euros to performers and 10,2 to producers).

MANAGEMENT

Pop, rock, metal

Alt. Agency & Management

Hammer Management & Agency

Fullsteam Management

Manage Me

NEM

Nordic Cult Management

Classical, jazz, folk
Alba

BMusic

Creatika

Fazer Artists' Management

Raitala

Rockadillo

Sublime

Media, PR & Promotion

RADIO

Yle: Radio Suomi, Yle Radio 1, YleX, among others. YleX is the main youth channel and usually introduces new music. Yle X3M and Yle Vega are Swedish speaking stations, that play a significant amount of music sung in Swedish.

Commercial stations: Radio Nova, Suomipop, Iskelmä, Radio Rock, Loop, Radio City, Radio Nostalgia, Basso.
Independent and local stations: Radio Helsinki.

Online
Rumba
Inferno
Soundi
Kaaoszine
Kulttuuritoimitus

Klangi

PRINT

The most important newspapers are:

Helsingin Sanomat
Aamulehti
Keskisuomalainen
Turun Sanomat
Hufvudstadsbladet (in Swedish)

Tabloids:
Ilta-Sanomat
Iltalehti

Music magazines:
Soundi
Rondo
Inferno

PR AGENCIES
Mellakka Helsinki
Hei Hei Media
Röd
Propromotion
Visual Media

Live & Venues

VENUES

Helsinki

Tampere

Turku

Jyväskylä

Seinäjoki

Oulu

CONCERT HOUSES

Musiikkitalo, Helsinki

Finlandia-talo, Helsinki

Kulttuuritalo, Helsinki

Sibelius-talo, Lahti

Tampere-talo, Tampere

BOOKING AGENCIES

FESTIVALS

Over 300 festivals take place around the country during the summer, except last summer of course. Some of the major and most popular ones include:

Ruisrock, Turku

Flow Festival, Helsinki

Provinssi, Seinäjoki

Ilosaarirock, Joensuu

Weekend Festival, Helsinki

Tuska Open Air, Helsinki

Helsinki Festival, Helsinki

Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Kuhmo

Savonlinna Opera Festival, Savonlinna

Kaustinen Folk Music Festival, Kaustinen

Seinäjoki Tango Festival, Seinäjoki

World Village Festival

ORCHESTRAS

15 symphony orchestras and 16 smaller orchestras are active across the country – from Helsinki to the European Union's northernmost orchestra in Rovaniemi. The likes of Avanti! and the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra are well known beyond the Finnish borders.

The Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra

Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra

Tampere Philharmonic Orchestra

Turku Philharmonic Orchestra

Lahti Symphony Orchestra

Oulu Symphony Orchestra

Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra

Lapland Chamber Orchestra

UMO Jazz Orchestra

Avanti! Chamber Orchestra

Helsinki Baroque Orchestra

Fibo – Finnish Baroque Orchestra

OPERAS

Helsinki's Finnish National Opera is the main venue for Finnish opera.

In addition there are a handful of small opera associations and the internationally recognised Savonlinna Opera Festival.

Other

TAXATION

Value-added tax (VAT):
Finland is a member of the EU and the same international VAT legislation is applied as in the other EU countries. The standard VAT rate is 24%. This rate also applies to record sales. Music performance fees are VAT free. It is also VAT free for agencies to sell performances to promoters or other agencies.

The transferring of copyrighted artistic material (like recordings) between parties is also VAT free, as well as payments for use of copyrighted material to the copyright holder. However, if such payments are made to an organisation representing the copyright holder, they will be eligible for VAT (10%).

Importing goods and services:
There are separate rules for fixed establishments in Finland and foreign businesses. If you stay less than six months in Finland your business is considered as ‘foreign’. Foreigners who conduct business through a fixed establishment in Finland are VAT liable in Finland and entered in the VAT register, just as a Finnish business would be.

When the seller is a foreign business with no fixed establishment in Finland and has not applied for VAT registration in Finland, it is the Finnish buyers of goods and services who are liable to pay and report the VAT (reverse charge). The threshold for VAT liability is 10,000 € – although this is not applicable to foreigners with no fixed establishment in Finland.

Reverse charge procedures for VAT are not applicable in the following situations. Instead, the foreign seller always has to register for VAT in Finland if:

1. The buyer is a foreigner (i.e. not from Finland) with no fixed establishment and no VAT registration in Finland.

2. The buyer is a private individual.

3. Sales of goods from another EU member state are taking place to private individuals in Finland.

4. The services being sold involve entrance permission granted to a business to attend cultural events, fair or exhibitions or other similar activities; as well as services related directly to the entrance, provided the event is carried out in Finland.

5. The services being sold involve: consumer services related to cultural events, fairs and exhibitions, or other similar activities, as well as organisation of these events; provided the activity is carried out in Finland.

If a foreign business has no tax domicile and no fixed establishment in any EU country, then they need to have a representative approved by Finnish Tax Administration to qualify for VAT liability. The representative should be domiciled in Finland and prepared to take care of the administrative obligations regarding VAT on behalf of the foreign business.

Income tax for foreign artists:
Any artist who is paid to perform in Finland is eligible for income tax. The tax rate is 15% and is charged regardless whether the payment is made as a salary or as another kind of payment. Even if the payment is made to a foreign agency the tax is still charged.

The 15% income tax for foreign artists is not deductible. However, it is possible to apply for tax-free refunds from an employer for verified costs for travelling and accommodation.

If you have only been performing and already paid the artist income tax then you do not need to file your taxes in Finland. In this case you are entitled to a certificate by your employer, showing that you have paid your taxes. The certificate can be useful when you want to avoid double taxation when returning to your home country.

It is recommended that you check best practices with your accountant.

Useful and practical tax information about taxation of Nordic citizens in all Nordic languages can be found on Nordisk eTax. https://www.nordisketax.net/