How the money is distributed
How much will you be paid as an artist or musician?
If you are an artist or musician on a recording that is played on the radio, you are entitled to payment for the use of the music. Here we explain how we calculate how much you get. The amount depends on three things: how long the recording has been played, what role you had on the recording, and which channel it was played on.
This is the calculation:
Minutes × points × Gramo rate = your payment
Below, we go through each part.
Step 1: How long has the recording been played?
We count how many minutes the recording has been played on each channel. A three-minute track that has been played 208 times has a total playing time of 624 minutes.
Step 2: Which role code do you have?
The role code says what you contributed to the recording, and it determines how many points you get.
Role code A applies if you are a soloist or solo artist, a featured artist or a permanent member of a band.
Role code B applies if you are a musician who is not a permanent member of the band, an orchestra member, a choir member or a remixer.
Role code C applies if you are a conductor or musical director.
You can only have one role code per recording, even if, for example, you play several instruments or are both musical director and a permanent member of the band. If you fit into more than one category, choose the one that comes first in the alphabet: A comes before B and C, and B comes before C.
Step 3: How many points does your role give?
The points depend on how many people take part in the recording. The more of you there are, the lower the score for each person.
For role code A, we count how many A's there are on the recording. If you are the only one with role code A, you get 16 points. For each additional person, the score goes down by two: two A's give 14 points each, three give 12 points each, and so on up to eight A's, which give 2 points each. If there are nine of you, you each get 1 point.
For role code B, we count the total number of A's and B's on the recording. If there are between two and five of you in total, each B gets 8 points. Six give 6 points, seven give 4 points, eight give 2 points, and nine give 1 point. If you perform alone on a recording, you automatically get role code A, so there are no recordings with only one B.
For role code C, the score is the same no matter how many others take part: 5 points. If more than one person has role code C on the same recording, you share the 5 points between you.
Once you know both the playing time and your score, multiply them. This gives your minute points:
Minutes × points = minute points
Step 4: Find the Gramo rate for the channel
The Gramo rate is an amount in Norwegian kroner (NOK) per minute, and it varies from channel to channel. Channels with many listeners have a higher rate than channels with fewer. If the recording has been played on more than one channel, one amount is calculated per channel, and the amounts are added together.
Step 5: Calculate the amount
Finally, multiply your minute points by the Gramo rate:
Minute points × Gramo rate = your payment
A worked example
Nine people took part in a recording: three band members, five musical contributors and a conductor. The recording has been played for 624 minutes on a channel with a rate of NOK 0.54 per minute.
The three band members have role code A. Since there are three of them, each gets 12 points. That gives 7,488 minute points each and a payment of NOK 4,043.52 each.
The five contributors have role code B. There are eight A's and B's in total on the recording, so each B gets 2 points. That gives 1,248 minute points each and a payment of NOK 673.92 each.
The conductor has role code C and gets 5 points. That gives 3,120 minute points and a payment of NOK 1,684.80.
New distribution rules for performers
In 2026, Gramo adopted a new, simpler distribution model for artists and musicians. It is based on the requirements of the Norwegian Collective Management Act and on Gramo's new rights management system. The new model applies to money earned from 2026 onwards.
How much will you be paid as a record label or personal producer?
If you have the rights to the recording itself, either as a record label or as a personal producer, you are entitled to payment when the recording is played on the radio. Here we explain how we calculate how much you get. The amount depends on two things: how long the recording has been played, and which channel it was played on.
This is the calculation:
Minutes × Gramo rate = your payment
Step 1: How long has the recording been played?
We count how many minutes the recording has been played on each channel. A three-minute track that has been played 208 times has a total playing time of 624 minutes.
Step 2: Find the Gramo rate for the channel
The Gramo rate is an amount in Norwegian kroner (NOK) per minute, and it varies from channel to channel. Channels with many listeners have a higher rate than channels with fewer. If the recording has been played on more than one channel, one amount is calculated per channel, and the amounts are added together.
Step 3: Calculate the amount
Finally, multiply the number of minutes by the Gramo rate:
Minutes × Gramo rate = your payment
A worked example
A track is A-listed on a channel for three months and is played for 624 minutes during that period. The channel has a rate of NOK 24 per minute. In this example, you have all the rights to the recording.
The payment is then NOK 14,976.
When several parties have rights to the same recording
If the rights to a recording are shared between several parties, for example because the recording was produced jointly or the rights have been transferred to others, the payment is divided according to each party's share. If you have half of the rights, you get half of the amount in the calculation above. That is why it is important that the shares are registered correctly with us.
Music is also used in places other than radio
Gramo also collects money when recordings are used on TV, in shops and gyms, in restaurants and cafés, and in other settings where music is played in public.