nordisk copyright bureau (ncb)

Name

nordisk copyright bureau (ncb)

Legal name

Nordisk Copyright Bureau

Website

https://ncb.dk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Rights Management

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230), Music Publishers (51223), Sound Recording Industries (5122)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822), Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Production (7812)

akta.pro primary industry

Mechanical Licensing (MLC/Local Equivalents, D2C/Streaming Mechanical) (MPAIABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Mechanical Rights Collection & Licensing (MROs/CMOs) (MPAIAKAB), Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management) (MPAIABAL), Sync Royalty Administration & Reporting (Cue Sheets, Claims, Audits) (MPAIALAL), Music & Synchronization Rights for Film/TV (MPADALAC)

Keywords

• Music rights licensing
• Mechanical rights management
• Collective rights administration
• Music synchronization licensing
• Royalty distribution services

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Mechanical Licensing Fees: NCB collects license fees from music users (film/TV producers, record companies) for the right to use music. Fees vary by production type, country, and are calculated based on factors like number of copies, format, and sales price. For physical productions, fees are paid before the factory releases copies.
2. Commission from Royalties: NCB deducts commission from license fees collected before distributing royalties to rights holders. Commission rates vary for various products and depend on whether NCB or a foreign partner collected the royalty payment. Royalties are distributed twice yearly (June and December) to rights holders through their national performing rights societies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCB administers mechanical music rights (synchronization, recording, and copying) in the Nordic region on behalf of composers, lyricists, publishers, and record companies. It licenses music use for film/TV productions and physical audio recordings (CD, vinyl, DVD), collects license fees from music users, deducts a commission, and distributes royalties to rights holders twice yearly.

Product overview

NCB offers a suite of digital platforms and licensing services for music copyright management in the Nordic region. The core products include MusicApplication for physical audio production licensing, WebCover for standard agreement management, and NCB Direct for royalty distribution statements. These are complemented by specialized services for Film & TV licensing, Audio Recording licensing, and country-specific Price Calculators. The platform enables rights holders to obtain licenses and ensures proper royalty distribution for mechanical rights (synchronization, recording, and copying) in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MusicApplication Web-based application for obtaining licenses to record/copy tracks onto physical audio media such as CD, vinyl, and concert DVD. Users fill in production details and receive invoices for mechanical copyright fees.
• WebCover Web-based portal for managing standard agreements with NCB, enabling record companies and film/TV distributors to register releases, search covers and tracks, and manage their product catalog.
• NCB Direct Member portal providing access to distribution statements and album/track search functionality for rights holders and sister societies.
• Film & TV Licensing Services Licensing services for using copyright-protected music in film, TV, DVD, and other audiovisual productions. Covers synchronization rights and provides calculators and price lists for different Nordic markets.
• Audio Recording Licensing Services Licensing services for recording music on physical media including CD, vinyl, and concert DVD. Includes price calculators for Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland.
• Standard Agreement - Audio Standard license agreement for record companies with multiple releases and ongoing sales. Covers physical audio products such as CD, DVD audio, and vinyl with semi-annual reporting.
• Standard Agreement - Audio-Visual Products Standard license agreement for distributors of audio-visual products on DVDs and Blu-ray discs. Covers feature films, documentaries, and short films containing copyright music.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EAÜ (Estonia)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2020Estonian performing rights society. Reciprocal representation agreement replaced previous NCB territorial coverage from July 1, 2020.
• AKKA-LAA (Latvia)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2020Latvian copyright society. Reciprocal representation agreement replaced previous NCB territorial coverage from July 1, 2020.
• LATGA (Lithuania)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 July 2020Lithuanian copyright society. Reciprocal representation agreement replaced previous NCB territorial coverage from July 1, 2020.
• Koda (Denmark)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2017Back office cooperation agreement where Koda supplies mechanical rights licenses and administrative services to NCB. Koda appointed Market Director Camilla Kjær Hejselbæk to manage NCB's day-to-day business since August 2019 under the Danish Act on collective management of copyright.
• NMP – Network of Music Partners A/ScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture owned 50% by NCB and 50% by PRS for Music (UK music copyright society). NMP provides back office services to the music copyright administration industry.
• PRS for Music (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK music copyright society that co-owns NMP (Network of Music Partners A/S) jointly with NCB. NMP provides back office services to the music copyright administration industry.
• Koda, STEF, STIM, Teosto, TONO (Nordic Performing Rights Societies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembers of NCB are the Nordic performing rights societies: Koda (Denmark), STEF (Iceland), STIM (Sweden), Teosto (Finland), and TONO (Norway). These societies administer performance rights when music is played, performed, or communicated to the public.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• SIAE: Italian collecting society for authors and publishers administering mechanical and other music rights across Italy. Comparable as a European CMO with similar mechanical rights administration function.
• SACEM: France's principal collecting society for music rights administration including mechanical, performance, and synchronization. Functionally analogous to NCB but operating at greater scale across France and French-speaking territories.
• GEMA: Germany's largest collecting society administering both mechanical and performance rights for music creators. Comparable as a European CMO with mechanical rights administration, though covering a much larger market and broader rights portfolio.
• BUMA/STEMRA: Netherlands-based collecting society combining performance rights (BUMA) and mechanical rights (STEMRA). Directly comparable as a European mechanical rights organization with similar mandate to NCB.

Regional players

• Teosto: Finnish performing rights organization and one of NCB's five owner-members. Comparable as a Nordic PRO collaborating with NCB for mechanical rights administration across Finland.

Emerging players

• ICE (International Copyright Enterprise): Pan-European back office services hub jointly owned by PRS, STIM, and GEMA. Comparable as a technology-enabled CMO infrastructure platform and direct competitor/alternative to NCB's NMP joint venture in providing back office services.

Direct peers

• The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective): US-designated mechanical licensing collective established under the Music Modernization Act. Direct functional peer as a mechanical rights collective with blanket licensing mandate, though operating under different US regulatory framework.
• PRS for Music: UK's music rights collective that co-owns NMP with NCB and administers mechanical and performance rights for UK songwriters and publishers. Most direct functional peer given the JV partnership and parallel CMO role for mechanical rights administration.
• Harry Fox Agency: US mechanical rights licensing collective serving music publishers with physical and digital mechanical licensing. Most direct international peer to NCB in mechanical-only rights administration, though operating at much larger US market scale.
• MCPS (Mechanical-Copyright Protection Society): UK mechanical rights collective now part of PRS for Music, handling mechanical licensing for recorded music. Directly comparable as a dedicated mechanical rights organization serving songwriters and music publishers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/NCB07169685/lists/twitter-list
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nordisk-copyright-bureau

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 nordisk copyright bureau (ncb)