APPA (Asociación de Profesionales de la Producción Audiovisual)

What APPA (Asociación de Profesionales de la Producción Audiovisual) does

APPA (Asociación de Profesionales de la Producción Audiovisual), founded in 2003 and headquartered at Calle Vargas 7, Local 10, Madrid, is a Spanish non-profit professional association dedicated exclusively to audiovisual production technicians — including production directors, controllers, production coordinators, location managers, and production assistants. It is the only association in Spain specifically serving this professional category and pioneered the formal definition of those production roles. APPA is institutionally integrated into Alianza Audiovisual and the Cluster Audiovisual de Madrid, and counts Goya Award-winning members (including Emiliano Otegui with three Best Production Direction wins) among its ranks.

The association's core digital product is APPA Producciones, a mobile application available on iOS and Android that provides a searchable directory of professional technicians, service provider companies, and Spanish Film Offices/Commissions, augmented with real-time geospatial mapping of filming locations across Spain (the Mapa de Rodajes). Complementing the app, APPA operates a weekly podcast (90+ episodes since 2018, distributed via Ivoox, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Music), a YouTube video interview series called APPA En Producción, a bi-weekly newsletter, and active social channels. Recent product evolution includes a 2025 contact form feature added to the mobile app and a 2026 training partnership with the Fundación Academia de Cine.

APPA's business model is a non-profit operating structure funded by annual membership dues (pricing undisclosed publicly) and corporate sponsorships from sector service providers. Go-to-market is community-led: acquisition runs through referrals (with a campaign offering free membership for bringing a friend), industry events, podcast reach, and ecosystem integration with broader audiovisual alliances. The association serves a primary persona segment of active audiovisual production technicians, with secondary segments of recent graduates, supplier companies, and educational institutions.

Name

APPA (Asociación de Profesionales de la Producción Audiovisual)

Legal name

Asociación de Profesionales de Producción Audiovisual (APPA)

Website

https://asociacionappa.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APPA is a Spanish non-profit professional association, founded in 2003 and based in Madrid, serving audiovisual production technicians across Spain through membership, a mobile directory and filming map app (APPA Producciones), podcasts, video content, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Association members pay dues (quota) to access benefits including formation opportunities, information resources, job boards, legal advice, discounts with partner companies, and professional networking. A referral campaign offers free membership when bringing a friend.
2. Sponsorships: The association receives support from sponsors who are national service providers for audiovisual productions. Sponsors support various activities and events organized for the audiovisual sector, reflecting their commitment to the industry.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APPA is a non-profit professional association that provides audiovisual production technicians in Spain with a subscription-based membership offering continuous training, an updated labour-agreements database, sector reports, production templates, legal advice via Menta Abogados, an exclusive job board, member discounts, and professional networking. Its digital core is the APPA Producciones mobile app (iOS/Android), which provides a searchable database of technicians, service providers, and Film Offices across Spain with real-time mapping, complemented by the Mapa de Rodajes interactive filming-location map and a member directory.

Product overview

APPA is a non-profit professional association dedicated to strengthening the audiovisual sector in Spain. Its core offering is the APPA Producciones mobile application (available for iOS and Android), which provides real-time mapping and access to databases of professional technicians, service provider companies, and Film Offices. The association complements this with APPA En Producción (video interviews), the APPA Podcast, the Mapa de Rodajes (filming map), and a member directory, providing a comprehensive professional network for audiovisual production organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• APPA Producciones: A digital tool/mobile app designed to facilitate the work of production companies and audiovisual production technicians in Spain, offering access to a database of professional technicians, service provider companies, Film Offices, and other key sector entities with real-time mapping capabilities.
• APPA En Producción

Products and services

• APPA Membership Annual subscription membership for individual audiovisual production technicians in Spain, providing continuous training, exclusive job board access, legal advice from Menta Abogados, sector reports, production templates, forums, networking, and discounts with partner companies.
• APPA Producciones Mobile App

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CineventcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSpecialists in audiovisual risk insurance and event organization. Renewed sponsorship agreement for another year as APPA partner. Provides insurance services for film productions featuring APPA members.
• Adecco AudiovisualcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialized division of The Adecco Group providing human resources solutions for audiovisual projects including casting, technical profiles, and general profiles for productions.
• CinetoolscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides sale of material for cinema, TV, advertising, and theater. Long-standing sponsor of APPA providing consumables for productions.
• WeLabcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerCamera rental company providing equipment for audiovisual productions featuring APPA members.
• Cinetel EspañacoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLighting equipment provider for cinema and television productions.
• Energy ServicescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading company in soundproofed generator systems for film and television. Has completed 183 film and TV productions. Maintains offices in Madrid, Barcelona, Canary Islands, and Valencia.
• Mrs GreenfilmminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSustainability services provider helping productions implement environmentally responsible practices.
• Silleras AsesoresminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLegal advisory services for audiovisual productions, providing consultancy on legal matters.
• Menta AbogadosminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLaw firm providing general FAQ legal advice in the member-only area.
• Alianza AudiovisualcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational audiovisual industry alliance that APPA is integrated into, representing the association within broader industry initiatives.
• Cluster Audiovisual de MadridcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional audiovisual cluster in Madrid that APPA is integrated into for industry collaboration and representation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Spain Film Commission: Spain Film Commission is the national network that promotes Spain as a filming destination and supports international productions on Spanish soil — directly referenced in APPA's communications and partnership ecosystem as a comparable industry-supporting body in the same geography.
• BECTU (Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union): BECTU is the UK union for broadcast, entertainment, and audiovisual production workers — comparable to APPA in its representation of technical and production professionals, but operating as a formal union with collective bargaining rather than an association model.
• Academia de las Artes y las Ciencias Cinematográficas de España: The Spanish Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences oversees the Goya Awards and runs training courses for audiovisual professionals — a Spanish peer institution of APPA in the same geography, recently partnering with APPA members to deliver the Controller and Production Coordination course.
• European Producers Club: The European Producers Club represents independent production companies across Europe, including in Spain — a pan-European peer of APPA's producer-focused advocacy, though oriented toward companies rather than individual technicians and production crew.
• BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts): BAFTA is the UK membership organization championing excellence in film, games, and television — a regional peer of APPA in the European audiovisual professional association landscape, though broader in scope (talent, craft, and games) versus APPA's production-organization focus.

Direct peers

• Producers Guild of America (PGA): The PGA is the US membership association representing producers across film, television, and new media — directly analogous to APPA's role for audiovisual production professionals in Spain, including similar functions of advocacy, training, and industry standards.
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE): IATSE is a North American labor union representing technicians, craftspeople, and production workers across entertainment — comparable to APPA's representation of audiovisual production technicians in Spain, though with formal collective bargaining rather than association membership.
• Film Independent: Film Independent is a US nonprofit that supports independent filmmakers and production professionals through education, community, and resources — analogous to APPA's nonprofit, member-driven model of training, networking, and industry support for audiovisual production professionals.

Broad incumbents

• Directors Guild of America (DGA): The DGA is a large US labor union representing directors and unit production managers in film and television — broader in scale than APPA but operating in the same audiovisual production-professional space with training, advocacy, and standards-setting functions.

Others

• Alianza Audiovisual: Alianza Audiovisual is the Spanish national audiovisual industry alliance of which APPA is a member organization — thematically aligned with APPA's mission to strengthen the audiovisual sector in Spain and directly integrated into APPA's strategic positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/asociacionappa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/asociacionappa
• Facebookfacebook.com/asociacionappa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asociaci%C3%B3n-appa
• Instagraminstagram.com/asociacionappa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about APPA (Asociación de Profesionales de la Producción Audiovisual)