A commissioner can be any person, group of people, organization or institution that desires to perform new music for an audience. From a private person holding house concerts over a music association, ensemble, church, festival or museum to an opera house. 

The composer is here understood as a "professional" composer, ie. an artist who delivers a professional result. The professional composer's work will appear as a whole in accordance with the framework set by the commissioner or jointly agreed upon by the commissioner and the composer. The work will not be characterized by temporary or random solutions, but will, on the contrary, have taken into account expected practical challenges. In addition, the work is handed in at a specified date.