Can I choose a single organisation to manage all my rights?

No, because the law separates copyright, performers' rights and producers' rights, and each category is managed by specific collective management organisations. However, you can avoid unnecessary overlaps by choosing a single organisation for each category of rights and by clearly defining in your contracts which rights are managed where.

Where can I find official information about collective management organisations in Romania?

The starting point is the ORDA website, which includes an up-to-date list of authorised collective management organisations, along with contact details and key documents. Each organisation (UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA, UPFR, etc.) then has its own website, where you can find statutes, membership forms, distribution rules and information for rights holders and users.

How musicians protect copyright and royalties in Romania

Q: Does DACIN SARA matter if my music is used in a film or TV series?

DACIN SARA is a collective management organisation for authors of audiovisual works (scriptwriters, directors, etc.). It can become relevant for musicians when their music is incorporated into an audiovisual work and when contracts specify that certain rights or remunerations are managed through this organisation.

Q: Does UPFR represent the artist or the label?

UPFR represents primarily phonogram producers (record labels or independent producers) and manages their related rights. An artist can also be a producer if they legally own the masters, but in many cases the producer is the label with which the artist has signed.

Q: What can I do if I suspect I am not receiving all the royalties I am entitled to?

As a first step, you should request detailed statements and clarifications from the relevant collective management organisation. If the answers are unsatisfactory or there are indications that the law or the organisation's own statute is being breached, it is advisable to consult a specialised lawyer and, where appropriate, to file a complaint with ORDA or bring a case before the courts.

This article is for information only and does not constitute legal advice. Concrete situations should always be assessed together with a lawyer or a specialised copyright adviser.

1. The starting question: “How do I, as an artist, make sure I don’t lose money from copyright royalties?”

In Romania, almost every musician who moves beyond the hobby stage and starts composing, recording or being broadcast on radio, TV, online or in public spaces will inevitably interact with at least one collective management organisation (CMO): UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA, UPFR or others. The real issue is not just “where do I register?”, but rather how you structure your relationship with these organisations so you do not lose money and you keep control over your rights.

Law no. 8/1996 on copyright and related rights (as republished and subsequently amended) is the main statute that governs the protection of musical works, performances, phonograms and other creative outputs, as well as the functioning of collective management organisations in Romania.
Law no. 8/1996 on copyright and related rights – official Romanian portal
Consolidated text of Law no. 8/1996 (PDF – UCMR-ADA)

At the same time, the Romanian Copyright Office (ORDA) is the supervisory authority that approves and monitors collective management organisations, including UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA and UPFR, all of which appear on its official list of CMOs.
Romanian Copyright Office (ORDA) – official website
ORDA – List of collective management organisations

The purpose of this article is to answer a very concrete question:

“If I am a composer, lyricist, performer or producer, how do I bring order to my rights and to my relationship with UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA and UPFR so that I do not lose remuneration and I avoid unnecessary disputes?”

2. From inspiration to rights: what the law says about the birth and protection of copyright

2.1. Copyright arises when the work is created

Under Romanian law, copyright over a work – including a musical work – arises at the moment of creation, without any need for registration or further formalities. Law no. 8/1996 expressly recognises and guarantees copyright in literary, artistic and scientific works, as well as in other intellectual creations.

In practical terms, this means that you do not become an author because you “sign up somewhere”, but because you have actually created an original piece. However, if you want to get paid when your song is broadcast or commercially exploited, the question of how your rights are managed – individually and collectively – becomes crucial.

2.2. Copyright vs. related rights – why it matters to separate them

Law no. 8/1996 makes an important distinction between two main categories:

Copyright – usually held by the composer and lyricist (the person who creates the melody and the lyrics);
Related (neighbouring) rights – belonging to performing artists (singers, instrumentalists, performers) and to phonogram producers (the entity that finances and owns the master recording).

Both categories are protected by the same law, and collective management organisations are given a legally recognised role in collecting remuneration for certain uses (broadcasting, public communication, reproduction, etc.).
Law no. 8/1996 – overview and commentary (Romanian)

This is exactly where the classic questions of artists come from: “If I registered with UCMR-ADA, do I still have to register with CREDIDAM?”; “Does UPFR collect money for me or for the label?”; “Does DACIN SARA concern me if my music is used in films or series?” The answers depend entirely on this distinction between copyright and related rights.

3. What collective management organisations actually are – and why you cannot ignore them

Collective management organisations (CMOs) are legal entities that administer certain copyright and related rights on behalf of the rights holders, especially where individual management would be impossible or disproportionately expensive (for example, monitoring all radio broadcasts or background music in thousands of public venues). They operate under Law no. 8/1996 and their own statutes, which are approved by ORDA.
Explanations on collective management organisations (Romanian)

In short, their role is to:

license users (radio and TV stations, platforms, bars, restaurants, event organisers, etc.);
collect royalties for the broadcasting or use of works and phonograms;
distribute the collected amounts to authors, performers and producers they represent, according to distribution rules.

In Romania, UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA and UPFR are officially recognised CMOs for specific categories of rights, each with its own statute and its own internal procedures for registration and distribution.
ORDA – list of recognised collective management organisations

4. UCMR-ADA – the main “interface” for composers and lyricists

4.1. What UCMR-ADA manages for a musician

UCMR-ADA is the collective management organisation authorised to manage economic copyright in the field of musical works. According to the information on its official website, UCMR-ADA administers, among others, rights of public communication, broadcasting, reproduction, distribution, cable retransmission and the private copy remuneration for musical works.
UCMR-ADA – useful information for users

If you are a composer or lyricist, UCMR-ADA is usually your key partner for:

registering your works (repertoire) and authorship metadata;
collecting royalties from radio/TV broadcasting;
collecting royalties for background music in public spaces (hotels, restaurants, shops, etc.);
international collections via reciprocal representation agreements with foreign CMOs.

4.2. What you should clarify contractually with UCMR-ADA

From a legal perspective, several points are essential when entering into a relationship with a CMO such as UCMR-ADA:

Scope of the mandate – which rights are actually managed (for example, all broadcasting and public communication rights, or only certain categories);
Territory – usually Romania, but some CMOs also manage collections abroad through partner societies;
Distribution rules – how the collected amounts are calculated and distributed (based on playlists, usage logs, weighting factors, minimum thresholds, etc.);
Transparency and reporting – how and when you receive statements on uses and payments;
Dispute mechanisms – how you can challenge a distribution if you suspect errors.

A well-informed composer does not stop at “I joined UCMR-ADA”, but explicitly checks which rights are entrusted for collective management, for how long and under what conditions.

5. CREDIDAM and DACIN SARA – related rights of performers and authors of audiovisual works

5.1. CREDIDAM – performers’ rights

CREDIDAM (Romanian Centre for the Administration of Performers’ Rights) is the CMO dedicated to the related rights of performing artists (vocalists, instrumentalists, soloists, etc.). Its statute, approved by ORDA, states that it is open to Romanian and foreign performers who are holders of related rights.
CREDIDAM Statute (ORDA-approved, PDF)

In practice, CREDIDAM collects and distributes, for performers, royalties coming from, for example:

public communication of phonograms (background music in public places);
radio and TV broadcasting;
some online uses;
sources where collective management is mandatory by law.

If you are a performer (even if you are not the composer), registration with CREDIDAM is separate from your relationship with UCMR-ADA. For the same recording, you may have authors’ royalties collected via UCMR-ADA and performers’ royalties collected via CREDIDAM.

5.2. DACIN SARA – authors of audiovisual works

DACIN SARA is a CMO managing the rights of authors of audiovisual works (scriptwriters, directors, creators of audiovisual works). For a musician, DACIN SARA becomes relevant if:

you compose music for films, series or other audiovisual productions;
you have the status of co-author in an audiovisual project;
you sign contracts where your music is integrated into a complex audiovisual work.

ORDA lists DACIN SARA among the CMOs operating in the audiovisual sector, alongside other specialised organisations.
ORDA – CMOs in the audiovisual field

The key takeaway for an artist is that when your music “enters” film or TV, it is crucial to clarify in your contracts who manages copyright and who manages related rights in the audiovisual area, including the potential role of DACIN SARA.

6. UPFR – producers’ rights and music licensing

6.1. Who UPFR is and what it manages

UPFR – Union of Phonogram Producers in Romania is the CMO for the related rights of music producers (phonogram producers). According to the “Who we are” section on its website, UPFR is responsible for licensing and collecting royalties for the use of music and for distributing these revenues to the rights holders it represents.
UPFR – “Who we are”

ORDA formally authorised UPFR as a CMO for producers’ related rights through Decision no. 5/1997, issued under Law no. 8/1996.
ORDA Decision no. 5/1997 on authorising UPFR

6.2. What this means for an artist or producer

UPFR becomes especially relevant if:

you are a phonogram producer (you own a label or you are an independent producer);
you are an artist who self-produces and releases your recordings and contractually holds the producer status;
you want to understand how your masters are licensed to radio, TV, streaming platforms and public venues.

According to UPFR, the organisation licenses music use (radio, TV, public communication) and distributes royalties to producers, based on their declared repertoire and the applicable distribution criteria.
UPFR – Music reproduction and licensing information

Here, it is essential to distinguish between authors’ rights (UCMR-ADA), performers’ rights (CREDIDAM) and producers’ rights (UPFR). If you have signed with a label, it is worth checking carefully who is contractually declared as producer and who is actually collecting through UPFR.

7. The role of ORDA: supervision, control and intervention in disputes

ORDA is not itself a CMO. It is a public authority that:

authorises and registers CMOs;
monitors compliance with Law no. 8/1996;
can conduct inspections and impose sanctions where irregularities or complaints arise regarding CMOs’ activity.

According to its official presentation, ORDA acts as the national coordinator in the field of copyright and related rights, including in relation to the activity of collective management organisations and Romania’s participation in international cooperation frameworks.
About ORDA – role and competences

In practice, an artist or producer can turn to ORDA when:

they believe that a CMO is breaching the law or its own statute;
there are suspicions regarding the collection or distribution of royalties;
there are disputes over the recognition of rights holder status or inclusion in a repertoire.

In recent years, ORDA has publicly announced extensive inspections of CMOs, precisely to verify their activities and to respond to complaints from rights holders and users.
News report on ORDA inspections of CMOs (Romanian)

8. Bringing order to your rights: practical steps for artists and producers

8.1. Step 1 – Take inventory of your repertoire and of your roles

Before you talk to CMOs or to a lawyer, it helps to have a clear picture of your legal situation. You can start with a simple internal audit:

Prepare a list of all your songs (title, co-authors, release date);
For each song, indicate whether you are:
- composer / lyricist (copyright – UCMR-ADA);
- performer (related rights – CREDIDAM);
- phonogram producer (related rights – UPFR);
Mark those tracks that:
- appear in films, TV series or other audiovisual productions (potentially relevant to DACIN SARA);
- are used in advertisements or commercial campaigns (where individual licensing and separate contracts are usually involved).

8.2. Step 2 – Check your registration with UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA, UPFR

Ask yourself a few basic questions:

Am I registered as a member or rights holder with UCMR-ADA for the songs I have written?
UCMR-ADA – official website
Am I registered with CREDIDAM as a performing artist for the tracks where I appear as vocalist or performer?
CREDIDAM – official website
Have I signed any documents with DACIN SARA or with audiovisual producers concerning music used in films and series?
Do I have the legal status of producer for some of my recordings, in which case a relationship with UPFR becomes relevant?
UPFR – official website

It is surprisingly common for artists to believe that “someone is collecting for them”, when legally there is in fact no registration, no valid mandate or incomplete documentation.

8.3. Step 3 – Actually read the statutes and distribution rules

Although it may seem tedious, the statutes and distribution rules of each CMO contain answers to crucial questions, such as:

which categories of rights are managed;
how money is split between members and non-members;
what the payment deadlines are and what limitation periods apply;
how you can submit a formal complaint or challenge a distribution.

For example, the statutes of CREDIDAM or UPFR set out, in detail, how royalties are collected and distributed, including in areas where collective management is mandatory.
CREDIDAM Statute (PDF)
UPFR Statute

8.4. Step 4 – Compare your statements with real-world usage

A professional artist does not treat royalty statements from CMOs as “just another accounting document” but, as far as possible, compares them with:

playlists or usage reports received from radios/TVs or from promoters;
public statistics (some CMOs publish charts or usage lists);
independent monitoring services tracking broadcasts.

Of course, it is not realistic to check every single broadcast manually, but having a critical and proactive attitude towards your royalty statements is what separates a “naive” career from a professional one.

8.5. Step 5 – Involve a specialised lawyer and, where needed, ORDA

Once you notice, for example:

significant discrepancies between known broadcasts and the amounts you receive;
unexplained delays in payments;
unclear refusals or delays in registering works or repertoire;

it is time to involve a lawyer specialised in copyright and related rights. A lawyer can:

interpret contracts and CMO rules correctly;
draft well-founded complaints or requests for clarification;
advise on whether it is appropriate to file a complaint with ORDA or to initiate court proceedings.

Romanian courts have already dealt with numerous cases involving CMOs and users or rights holders, analysing in detail how Law no. 8/1996 and CMO statutes apply in practice.
Case-law analysis on collective management (Romanian)

9. Key takeaways for artists: beyond fiction and beyond “they’ll take care of it”

Even if the story of a fictional artist – going from UCMR-ADA to CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA, UPFR and ORDA – can be told as a narrative, the legal conclusions remain the same in real-life industry situations:

Understand your roles – author, performer, producer, co-author, composer for film, etc. Each role comes with distinct rights and, sometimes, different CMOs.
Think strategically about your relationship with CMOs – it is not only about “where you sign up”, but also about which rights you entrust, for how long, on what territory and with what control mechanisms.
Use official sources – Law no. 8/1996, the websites of UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA, UPFR and ORDA are the minimum sources you should consult before taking serious decisions.
Monitor your revenues – statements are not a “favour” from CMOs; they reflect your economic rights. You have every interest in checking them regularly.
Do not hesitate to seek professional help – a lawyer experienced in music law and copyright can turn a randomly managed career into one built on clear contracts and real legal control over your catalogue and royalties.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about working with UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA and UPFR

1. If I am both composer and performer, do I have to join both UCMR-ADA and CREDIDAM?

In practice, yes. UCMR-ADA manages the economic copyright over the musical composition (and, where applicable, lyrics), while CREDIDAM manages the related rights of performers. If you are both author and performer of the same track, you can receive separate royalties from both organisations.

2. Does DACIN SARA matter if my music is used in a film or TV series?

DACIN SARA is a CMO for authors of audiovisual works (scriptwriters, directors, etc.). It can become relevant for musicians when their music is incorporated into an audiovisual work and when contracts specify that certain rights or remunerations are managed through this organisation. Each situation must be analysed based on the actual contracts signed with producers and broadcasters.

3. Does UPFR represent the artist or the label?

UPFR represents, primarily, phonogram producers (record labels or independent producers) and manages their related rights. An artist can also be a producer if they legally own the masters, but in many cases the producer is the label with which the artist has signed. The answer depends on who is contractually designated as producer.

4. Can I choose a single organisation to manage “everything” for me?

No, not in a simple, all-inclusive sense. The law clearly separates copyright, performers’ rights and producers’ rights, and each category is managed by specific CMOs. You can, however, avoid unnecessary overlaps by choosing a single organisation for each category of rights and by clearly defining in contracts which rights are managed where.

5. What can I do if I suspect I am not receiving all the royalties I am entitled to?

As a reasonable first step, you should request detailed statements and clarifications from the relevant CMO. If the answers are unsatisfactory or there are indications that the law or the CMO’s own statute is being breached, it is advisable to consult a specialised lawyer and, where appropriate, to file a complaint with ORDA or even bring a case before the courts.

6. Is it mandatory to become a member of a collective management organisation?

There are situations where collective management is mandatory by law and others where rights holders can choose between individual and collective management. From a practical and economic perspective, for mass uses such as background music in public venues or broadcasting on major stations, collective management is almost the only efficient way to collect royalties.

7. Where can I find official information about CMOs in Romania?

The starting point is the ORDA website, which includes an up-to-date list of authorised CMOs, along with contact details and key documents. Each CMO (UCMR-ADA, CREDIDAM, DACIN SARA, UPFR, etc.) then has its own website, where you can find statutes, membership forms, distribution rules and information for rights holders and users.