Swiss Society of Authors

What Swiss Society of Authors does

Swiss Society of Authors (Société Suisse des Auteurs, société coopérative, SSA) is a Lausanne-based cooperative society founded in 1985 that operates as a collective management organization (CMO) for authors of stage and audiovisual works in Switzerland. SSA administers copyright on behalf of playwrights, screenwriters, choreographers, and other dramatic-sector authors, collecting licensing royalties from professional theatres, amateur theatres, school theatres, broadcasters, audiovisual producers, video-on-demand platforms, event organizers, and publishers. Collected royalties are distributed to rights holders under tariffs negotiated as common tariffs with user organizations and approved by the Federal Arbitration Commission (FAC/ESchk/Caf). The organization is one of five officially recognized Swiss CMOs, alongside ProLitteris, Suissimage, SUISA, and SWISSPERFORM, and is a member of the SwissCopyright umbrella.

The organization's underlying infrastructure centers on rights administration and royalty distribution through international identification registers — IPI (Swiss Federal Institute for Intellectual Property), IDA (International Documentation of Audiovisual works), and ISAN (International Standard Audiovisual Number) — enabling cross-border rights management through reciprocal agreements with foreign sister societies. Beyond core rights administration, SSA operates the Fonds culturel de la SSA cultural fund (grants, scholarships, solidarity and emergency relief), provides member services including workspaces and legal advice, runs GDPR/FADP-compliant data practices, and publishes multilingual (FR/DE/IT/EN) member communications. In 2025 the organization collected over CHF 30.6 million and celebrated its 40th anniversary; in 2026 it renewed board mandates and disbursed 11 choreography scholarships totaling CHF 70,000.

Revenue mechanics rely on licensing royalties from a broad user base, supplemented by performance and VoD remuneration rights; pricing is structured as regulated tariffs (pay-as-you-go billing) rather than negotiated enterprise contracts. SSA is governed by a Board composed primarily of active authors and operates a single integrated offering covering member acquisition, repertoire management, licensing, royalty distribution, cultural funding, and policy advocacy (including a recently launched AI Declaration workflow for work users). The planned Lausanne office relocation in Spring 2027 is the principal near-term operational event.

Name

Swiss Society of Authors

Legal name

Société Suisse des Auteurs, société coopérative (SSA)

Website

https://ssa.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Swiss Society of Authors (SSA) is a Lausanne-based cooperative collective management organization administering copyright and collecting royalties for stage and audiovisual authors in Switzerland, serving theatres, broadcasters, producers, and VoD platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collective Rights Management

NAICS

Music Publishers (51223)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Rights Administration & Royalty Processing (Admin, Accounting, Statements) (MPAIAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) & Public Performance Licensing (MPAIAKAA), Global Rights Representation & Sub-Publishing/Reciprocal Collection Services (MPAIAKAI)

Keywords

• Collective rights management
• Copyright administration
• Royalty collection services
• Performing rights licensing
• Audiovisual rights management

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Copyright royalty collection: SSA collects royalties and remuneration fees from users of protected works including theatre performances, audiovisual productions, broadcasting, and other forms of use. Revenue is collected through licensing agreements and then distributed to rights holders according to distribution regulations.
2. Performance and broadcasting fees: Collection of performance rights fees and remuneration rights, with strong growth noted in performing rights and VoD remuneration rights in 2025.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SSA is a cooperative collective management organization that administers copyright for authors of stage and audiovisual works in Switzerland. It collects royalties from theatres, broadcasters, audiovisual producers, video-on-demand platforms, event organizers, and publishers through licensing agreements, then distributes the proceeds to rights holders under its distribution regulations. The organization also provides legal advice, anti-piracy enforcement, cultural fund support (scholarships, grants, solidarity and emergency funds), and international rights representation through reciprocal agreements with sister societies.

Product overview

SSA operates as a single unified offering: a comprehensive copyright and rights management service for authors in stage and audiovisual fields. The organization functions as a cooperative society providing integrated services including rights administration, membership management, licensing for work users, cultural fund operations, and document services. The core service portfolio encompasses member services for authors, licensing services for organizations using copyrighted works, the cultural fund for creative support, and administrative tools including e-forms and newsletters. All services are interconnected through SSA's centralized repertoire management system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fonds culturel de la SSA: Cultural fund supporting creation in stage and audiovisual works, providing grants and scholarships to authors

Products and services

• Copyright/Rights Management Services Core offering managing and protecting authors' rights for stage and audiovisual works, including copyright administration, licensing, and royalty collection and distribution.
• Member Services Services for authors including membership (adhesion), advice and guidance, working spaces, complaint handling, and support for authors from abroad.
• Licensing Services for Work Users Licensing services for organizations using copyrighted works, including professional theatres, amateur theatres, school theatres, broadcasters, audiovisual producers, event organizers, video-on-demand platforms, publishers, and internet/social media applications.
• Fonds culturel de la SSA (Cultural Fund) Cultural fund providing financial support for audiovisual works, theatrical works, and choreographic projects through grants and scholarships, including 11 scholarships disbursed in 2026 to Swiss or Switzerland-based choreographers.
• E-Forms and Online Applications Electronic forms and online application systems for work registration, license requests, and other administrative procedures.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 30.6 million CHF collected and distributed to rights holders in 2025

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ProLitteriscoreOthersSwiss collective management organization for literature, photography and visual arts. Together with SSA, Suissimage, SUISA, and SWISSPERFORM, forms the five collective management organizations in Switzerland. Cooperates on common tariffs for mandatory collective management under regulatory supervision.
• SuissimagecoreOthersSwiss collective management organization that collectively manages copyrights to films and audiovisual works, representing screenwriters and directors as well as copyright holders such as film producers. One of the five Swiss collective management organizations.
• SUISAcoreOthersSwiss cooperative managing the rights of authors of musical works. Represents 'small rights' including non-theatrical musical works, concert versions of theatrical works, and music in films. One of the five Swiss collective management organizations.
• SWISSPERFORMcoreOthersAsserts claims against users on behalf of neighboring rights' owners (performers, producers of audio and audiovisual recordings) for secondary usage of their performances. One of the five Swiss collective management organizations.
• SwissCopyrightcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organization bringing together Swiss collective management organizations for copyright and related rights. SSA is a member alongside ProLitteris, Suissimage, SUISA, and SWISSPERFORM.
• SAA (Swiss Authors' Association)coreOthersSwiss Authors' Association. SSA maintains membership and collaborative relationship with SAA for representing authors' interests.
• International sister societies (reciprocal representation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSA maintains reciprocal representation agreements with collective management organizations abroad, enabling international rights management and cross-border royalty distribution for authors.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SWISSPERFORM: Swiss CMO representing neighboring rights owners (performers, producers of audio and AV recordings) for secondary usage. The fifth Swiss CMO and a complementary rights-organization partner to SSA in the AV value chain.
• SACD (Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques): French collective management organization for dramatic authors (stage, audiovisual, animation). Highly comparable to SSA in mandate, governance, and service portfolio — useful international benchmark for stage and AV rights administration.
• Suissimage: Swiss CMO that collectively manages copyrights to films and audiovisual works on behalf of screenwriters, directors, and producers. Directly overlaps with SSA's audiovisual mandate and is one of the five official Swiss CMOs.
• SIAE (Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori): Italian CMO for authors and publishers across multiple repertoires including dramatic and audiovisual works. Closely comparable to SSA in mandate, cooperative structure, and regulatory environment (Italian-Swiss rights flows are significant).
• ProLitteris: Swiss CMO covering literature, photography, and visual arts. Sister organization under the SwissCopyright umbrella, comparable in cooperative structure and regulatory oversight, though operating in adjacent rather than overlapping repertoires.
• SUISA: Swiss cooperative managing rights of musical works authors. SSA's closest domestic counterpart — together they form two of the five official Swiss collective management organizations, and they coordinate on overlapping rights (e.g., music in theatrical works).

Broad incumbents

• SACEM: France's largest CMO covering musical works repertoire. A larger incumbent that shares reciprocal representation agreements with SSA; comparable operating model but at significantly greater scale and broader repertoire scope.
• PRS for Music: UK-based CMO for music writers and publishers. Larger incumbent comparable in operating model and reciprocal representation network; while focused on music, it interfaces with SSA on cross-border AV and stage repertoire.
• GEMA: Germany's largest music rights organization. A broad incumbent comparable in cooperative structure and regulatory framework, with reciprocal agreements enabling cross-border rights flows that also involve SSA members.

Others

• CISAC: International confederation of collective management organizations of which SSA is a member. Acts as the umbrella body coordinating reciprocal agreements and standards across national CMOs including SSA and its direct peers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ssa-lausanne

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Swiss Society of Authors