Did you think you could give one last tribute to a loved one who has passed by playing one of their favorite songs? We regret to inform you that this will now require a financial compensation. The reason? An agreement was made by the Federation of funeral services and the Society of authors, composers, and music publishers (SACEM) last February 21, imposing the establishment of a royalty whenever a piece of music is played during a funeral ceremony. « The broadcasting [of musical works], including during funeral ceremonies, involves respecting copyright, which is their only form of remuneration », the SACEM specifies.
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An average increase of five euros
To support this decision, the National Funeral Federation states that “one in four ceremonies involves music subject to copyright fees ”. One question remains: how much will this financial contribution be? Funeral homes will now be able to charge about five euros extra. This amount may either apply solely to the concerned family, or it may be spread among all families, in which case it will amount to one euro. These copyright fees will then be passed on to SACEM. The total annual amount is estimated to be between 700,000 and 800,000 euros, which will be divided among publishers and authors and composers. A little p .art will be paid to the performers. This decision quickly outraged internet users.
Il n'y a pas de petit profit, même deux pieds sous terre !
— goudemand ⚡ (@fxgoudemand) February 22, 2025
Comment la #Sacem va prélever 800.000 euros pour les musiques diffusées aux #enterrements 🧐#goldman #celinedionhttps://t.co/p6EyC9jAPr
The 10 Most Played Songs at Funerals
You might wonder, what are the songs most frequently played at funerals? In October 2024, our colleagues from France Bleu revealed the list of the top ten tracks that are most common. And needless to say, Jean-Jacques Goldman and Céline Dion are quite popular!
1. "Since You're Leaving", Jean-Jacques Goldman
2. "White Paradise", Michel Berger
3. "My Old Man", Daniel Guichard
4. "Fly", C&eacut;e;Celine Dion
5. "Song for a Funeral", Grégoire
6. "If I Had Known", Claudio Capéo
7. "The Mountain", Jean Ferrat
8. "Ave Maria", Charles Gounod
9. "The Eyes of Mom", Kendji Girac
10. "One More Evening", Céline Dion