DACS distributes over £5.6 million in Payback royalties to 86,000 visual artists in 2021
Thanks to DACS’ annual Payback scheme, over 86,000 photographers, illustrators and artists are to receive a share of £5.6 million in royalties.
Payback is a scheme which pays artists annual royalties when their artworks have been published in UK books, magazines or on TV. This year, individual payments were up to £450 for books and magazines and over £3000 when also claiming for TV.
For many working artists, Payback provides a reliable source of income, helping to pay for materials, studio rent and bills, especially at a time other income streams have been affected due to the pandemic. It’s a milestone that follows artists throughout their career, as many Payback claimants have been claiming for over 20 years.
Since its founding in 1999, DACS has paid out over £65 million in Payback royalties.
I know plenty of illustrators and designers that do it every year and some might get thirty quid and some might get a couple of grand. No matter how much you get, it is all money that you deserve, so go get it!
Great British Bake-Off Illustrator
Every year, DACS makes life as an artist that little bit more tolerable, and in the toughest year I've faced as a full time, self-employed artist, it's meant more than ever.
Artist
I’ve been claiming Payback for a few years now – it can help to cover pre-production tests and experiments that don’t necessarily get budgeted into production costs… Just as I might pay someone for hiring a camera or a meal cooked in a café, Payback provides a way of being paid for the use of my work.
Photographer and artist
To apply for Payback, visual artists need to complete their annual claim form between January and April each year. For artists interested in claiming for the first time, they can register at https://payback.dacs.org.uk to be notified when Payback opens in January 2022.
