New market share results reveal the recorded-music and music publishing winners and losers in 2023

Music & Copyright’s annual survey of the recorded-music and music publishing sectors has revealed the changes in global market share for the three major music groups and the independent sector. UMG remained the overall global music group leader last year, but for the third year in a row, second-placed SMG reduced the gap. UMG’s recorded-music share was down slightly for the third consecutive year, while SME has registered share growth for four straight years. WMG’s share fell back for a second year, and the independent sector’s share edged down after a modest rise in 2022. For publishing, SMP extended its lead over second-placed UMPG, while WCM’s share was up for the third straight year. The collective share for the independent sector fell below 40% for the first time since 2014.

Modest changes in recorded-music market shares
According to Music & Copyright, UMG remained the top company for combined physical and digital recorded-music trade revenue in 2023. The leading major accounted for 31.8% of the total compared with 31.9% in 2022. For digital revenue only, UMG’s share was down, to 32.4% from 33%, while the company’s physical share increased, to 29.3% from 27.6%.

Record companies, digital- and physical-revenue market shares, 2022 and 2023
Source: Music & Copyright

SME’s position as the second-largest record company was maintained. Moreover, the company was the only one of the three majors not to lose combined digital/physical share. Last year, SME accounted for an unchanged 22.1% of the total. The company’s digital share grew to 23.5% from 23.2%, while its physical share was down to 16.6% from 17.7%. SME’s share of all recorded-music trade revenue, which includes licensing and other revenue as well as income from physical and digital music sales, increased to 22.9% from 22.6%.

Record companies, total recorded-music-revenue market shares, 2022 and 2023
Source: Music & Copyright

The smaller of the three majors, WMG, suffered a dip in share for both digital and physical sales for the second year in a row. According to Music & Copyright, WMG’s digital share was down last year, to 16.8% from 17.2% in 2022. The company’s share of physical sales fell to 10.4% from 10.9%. The results meant WMG’s combined digital/physical share slipped to 15.5% from 16%. Collectively, the independents saw a rise in digital share for the second consecutive year. The share last year was up to 27.3% from 26.6%. For physical formats, the independents’ share edged down to 43.7% from 43.8%. The results meant independent companies’ combined digital/physical revenue share grew to 30.6% from 30%.

Rise in publishing shares for SMP and WCM
Music & Copyright has calculated that global music publishing revenue topped the $9bn milestone for the first time last year. Total income increased 10.9%, to a record high of $9.03bn from $8.14bn in 2022. Last year’s growth rate was down on the 17.7% rise in 2022 and 17.6% improvement in 2021.
Not only did SMP maintain its leading position ahead of UMPG last year, but the gap between the two widened slightly to 1.5 percentage points from 1.3 points in 2022. SMP’s share edged up to 24.9% from 24.7%. UMPG’s publishing share edged down to 23.3% from 23.4%.

Music-publishing companies’ revenue market shares, 2022 and 2023
Source: Music & Copyright

Third-placed WCM registered the third consecutive annual rise in share. Moreover, WCM’s share was the highest for more than 10 years. Music & Copyright estimates the company accounted for 12.4% of global publishing revenue in 2023 compared with 12% in 2022. Although the collective share of independent music publishers maintained a healthy lead, the share slipped last year to 39.4% from 40%. For more market share details and further analysis just follow this link.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with Brazil country report

The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: New market share results reveal the recorded-music and music publishing winners and losers
Music & Copyright’s annual survey of the recorded-music and music publishing sectors has revealed the changes in global market share for the three major music groups and the independent sector. UMG remained the overall global music group leader last year, but for the third year in a row, second-placed SMG reduced the gap. UMG’s recorded-music share was down slightly for the third consecutive year, while SME has registered share growth for four straight years. WMG’s share fell back for a second year, and the independent sector’s share edged down after a modest rise in 2022. For publishing, SMP extended its lead over second-placed UMPG, while WCM’s share was up for the third straight year. The collective share for the independent sector fell below 40% for the first time since 2014.

NEWS FEATURE: KODA reports new milestones for collections and distributable revenue
Danish authors’ society KODA has published its annual report for 2023. Total collections were up for the third consecutive year after suffering a pandemic-related dip in 2020. Moreover, revenue for the Danish society hit another new record. Subscriber gains and new licensing agreements with digital services saw online income overtake broadcasting to become the society’s biggest revenue source. Broadcasting suffered a second year of falling receipts, although the 2023 dip was largely caused by income from previous years’ use of music in the TV sector included in the 2022 total. Most notable in last year’s results was that collections for all the main performance sectors exceeded prepandemic levels. Cinema is the exception. Despite two years of collection growth, movie theater receipts are still short of the 2019 total.

SECTOR ANALYSIS: Amazon Music goes multiplatform to pull in livestreamed music audiences
Amazon Music is going head-to-head with YouTube and TikTok in the music livestreaming space. The company has already offered up coverage of three major festivals, with performances made available across three Amazon channels simultaneously to boost audiences. The retail giant has also achieved success with its second season of the Amazon Music Live series, which goes out after its NFL coverage. Amazon Music has been enhancing its livestreamed product with content extras and music merchandise offerings, and it is promising further add-ons. However, it needs to ensure that such extras are a good fit with live performances and not mere gimmicks.

COUNTRY REPORT: Brazil
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed Brazil music industry report. Following two consecutive years of contraction, recorded-music trade sales in Brazil have now risen for seven years in a row. Despite COVID-19 affecting performance rights and synchronization in 2020, streaming gains more than offset the declines. The two affected sectors returned to growth in 2021 and have now registered two years of improved performance. Streaming gains also boosted last year’s total along with vinyl sales more than doubling. Umbrella rights organization ECAD saw distributions top record levels in 2023. Moreover, live music sales are continuing on the road to recovery and are expected to top prepandemic levels this year.

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New issue of Music & Copyright

The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: Deal dollars keep on flowing despite troubles at Hipgnosis
There are fears that the hectic buying and selling of music catalogs for hundreds of millions of dollars over the past few years represents a financial bubble. The ongoing difficulties of rights fund Hipgnosis have only enhanced those suspicions, while rising interest rates have also increased anxieties. But, while there have been instances of profit-taking, the funding for catalog deals remains healthy, with several investors happy to take a longer-term view. Moreover, with central banks set to ease their tight monetary policies and reduce rates, leading investment funds are continuing to find the cash to finance further acquisitions.

NEWS FEATURE: Seven straight years of collection growth for Bulgaria’s Musicautor
Bulgarian authors’ society Musicautor has reported a seventh consecutive year of rising collections. Although last year’s growth rate was down on the size of the rise in 2022, the rate of improvement in receipts was the second highest in eight years. TV maintained its position as the biggest income source for Bulgarian authors and publishers despite persistent low rates paid by the country’s broadcasters. Concert collections more than doubled, with the number of licensed events increasing to record levels. Digital collections were down year-on-year, but the prior year’s total was inflated by backdated receipts. A return to normality after the COVID-19 pandemic continued to boost general licensing income. Moreover, collections for cinema and theater, two sectors badly affected by the pandemic, also registered sharp growth. Mechanicals benefited from higher sales of CDs and vinyl.

SECTOR ANALYSIS: Afrobeats and amapiano lead Africa’s international music charge
African music is finding real favor outside its home continent. The region’s musicians are now regularly performing in front of large, non-domestic audiences, charting strongly in the US, and picking up prestigious honors. Moreover, South African–born amapiano music has joined afrobeats as one of the leading African genres internationally, with further hybrids set to cut through. Leading music industry players are already making their moves on the continent, but they need to put resources into supporting emerging artists and sector professionals to ensure the development of a resilient African music business.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with Indonesia country report

The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: IFPI reports a ninth consecutive year of increased recorded-music trade sales
The international music trade body, the IFPI, has detailed another positive set of results for the global recorded-music sector. Digital and physical trade sales, along with performance rights and synchronization income, were up in 2023 for the third successive year. Streaming was again cited by the IFPI as the main growth provider, with combined revenue from subscriptions and audio and video advertising generating slightly more than two-thirds of global trade sales. The number of paid subscription accounts exceeded 600 million for the first time, with the net number of additions last year 12 million up on the total in 2022. Vinyl maintained its renaissance while CD sales also increased. Sub-Saharan Africa registered the highest growth rate of the seven regions detailed, followed by Latin America and then Asia.

NEWS FEATURE: National recorded-music trade and retail sales in 2023
To compliment the IFPI global results, Music & Copyright has pulled together all of the national trade and retail sales figures published by the leading markets’ trade groups. Countries included in this issue’s analysis include the US, Japan, the UK, Germany, France, Brazil, Australia, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Belgium, Austria, Finland, South Africa, and Hungary.

COMPANY ANALYSIS: Rising recorded-music, publishing, and merchandising sales boost UMG revenue to record high
UMG ended its 2023 financial year in a positive style, with increased subscriptions and higher sales of physical formats boosting the recorded-music total, and a good performance from streaming, synchronization, and mechanicals contributing to a rise in publishing receipts. Recorded-music revenue from subscriptions topped €1bn ($1.1bn) in each quarter, while sales of physical formats were up year-on-year throughout 2023. Moreover, licensing finished the year on a high, with sales in the quarter breaking new records. Music publishing benefited from the continued growth in the popularity of streaming, and all four main publishing sectors registered double-digit annual gains. In addition to its financials, UMG also confirmed that its previously announced strategic organizational redesign is expected to generate €250m in annual savings by 2026 through a combination of headcount reduction and several other operational efficiencies.

COUNTRY REPORT: Indonesia
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed Indonesia music industry report. Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world, behind India, China, and the US: the country ended 2023 with 277.5 million inhabitants. Despite its large population, Indonesia has always massively underperformed as a recorded-music market, with the legal sector long struggling to gain a foothold because of persistently high piracy rates. However, music streaming’s success around the world is more than rubbing off in Indonesia, with a mixture of services now available offering access to several million local and international recordings. The collection of royalties has also changed. In 2019, the government and the different collective management organizations agreed on a one-stop-shop administration, with a single agency given the authority to collect and distribute royalties from commercial music users. The live sector suffered a couple of bad years because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the measures introduced to control the spread of the virus. However, following a sharp fall in ticket sales in 2020, some live performances resumed at the end of 2021. A more than doubling of ticket sales the following year saw the total return to prepandemic levels.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with China country report

The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: IPO report concludes that ER does not offer a simple solution to raising artists’ streaming income
The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published a report on the pros and cons of introducing equitable remuneration (ER) to on-demand music streams. Currently, ER is only paid to artists and performers when their works are broadcast on radio or performed publicly. The IPO was tasked with evaluating the impact of introducing ER to the investment environment for artists and record labels investing in the creation of new recording copyrights. Although the purpose of the investigation was not to consider the fairness of the current situation, or how the introduction of the proposed changes might lead to a more or less fair outcome, the Office did conclude that ER would not result in a solution to the current problem of low returns for artists and performers. The IPO did suggest that more research was needed into how best ER could be applied so as to balance the incentives to create with the need to monetize that creation.

NEWS FEATURE: Travis Scott sued for copyright infringement; Roddy Ricch case dismissed
US rappers Travis Scott and Roddy Ricch are at different ends of copyright infringement claims. The former has just been sued by the author and producer of a classic 1990s track for using a short, unlicensed sample without permission. The latter has just seen a claim brought against him at the end of 2022 dismissed. The case against Scott is unusual as it involves the alleged use of the same unlicensed sample in two of his tracks released five years apart and featuring on two different albums. Ricch’s case resembled a more traditional copyright infringement case in that the author of a work that was released several years ago claimed that the rapper had copied numerous elements of his work.

COMPANY ANALYSIS: SoundCloud can benefit in the shift from mumble rap to algorave
German audio streamer SoundCloud looked to be on the way out a half-dozen years ago as acquisitive rivals waited in the wings. That is until a significant injection of funds from a couple of investment firms kickstarted a turnaround. Now those investors are looking to cash in with a possible auction in a few months’ time. SoundCloud may be an attractive buy given that it has just turned an annual profit for the first time. Its upsides include a sizable emerging artist community that could be further leveraged and a growing dance music community that could be exploited and grown into an international brand.

COUNTRY REPORT: China
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed China music industry report. For many years, China has been the world’s most populous country. However, last year saw neighboring India take the lead. Moreover, China’s population is expected to edge down annually for the foreseeable future. Last year, the population total stood at slightly more than 1.4 billion people. China also has the world’s second-biggest economy, behind the US. For the final quarter of 2023, GDP increased 5.2% compared with the prior year period. China’s relatively buoyant economy is reflected in several sectors of the country’s music industry. Often described as an emerging market, retail sales show the country is more than living up to its long-held potential. China’s digital infrastructure is highly developed, and all the requirements for digital growth are firmly in place. Royalty collections had grown consistently since 2007. However, in 2022, total collections edged down, with the local collection society, MCSC, putting the blame for the dip on licensing difficulties caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with US country report

The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: Times get tougher for emerging artists, but there’s power in the fan base
Emerging artists are having a harder time than ever at the start of this new year. Apple Music, Spotify, and Deezer have all tweaked their payment models in ways that mean those who generate few streams get less, or in some cases, nothing at all. However, it’s not all doom and gloom, and some financial easing could be on the way in the form of new musician-focused legislation. In addition, superfans present an opportunity, while tech innovation could ease the burden of running a one-person music business.

NEWS FEATURE: US Internet Archive hits back in Great 78 Project copyright infringement dispute
The Internet Archive in the US, its creator, and a renowned audio engineer have hit back against copyright infringement claims made by a group of record labels. The claims included infringement of reproduction rights, distribution, and the unlicensed public performance of classic works. The alleged infringements were carried out as part of the Great 78 Project, which was set up by the archive to preserve old 78-rpm recordings. The project digitizes the records and makes them available to download and stream for free on the archive’s website. The archive said in a motion to dismiss that most of the alleged infringements should be ruled inadmissible because the record labels left it too long to make their claim.

COMPANY ANALYSIS: Markets impressed by Spotify’s latest results and prospects for the current year
Music streaming service Spotify has published its fourth-quarter and full-year results for the 2023 financial year. Total revenue for the three-month period was in line with the guidance provided with the third-quarter results, while the number of monthly average users (MAUs) and premium subscribers added in the quarter exceeded the service’s expectations. The city reacted positively to the news and Spotify’s market cap is now at its highest level for two years. There is, however, the issue of losses. The service has made such a great play in recent months that it is looking to become a consistently profitable business. However, despite a reduction in net losses in the quarter, the service has still not registered an annual profit since it was launched commercially some 18 years ago.

COUNTRY REPORT: US
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed US music industry report. The US is the biggest music market in the world. Each year, the country accounts for more than one-third of the total global recorded-music trade sales and approximately 40% of spending on tickets to live music events. Furthermore, the US is home to the single-biggest live music promoter, Live Nation Entertainment, as well as the two leading performers’ rights organizations (PROs), ASCAP and BMI, and the biggest performance rights organization, SoundExchange. In addition to leading the music world, the US is also the world’s biggest economy, with total GDP last year topping $25.4tn. In December, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) said GDP increased 3.3% in the final quarter of last year compared with quarter three. Year-on-year GDP in the last three months grew 3.1%.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with India country report

The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: Music companies pivot toward lean strategies as part of tech transformation
The recorded-music industry has been shedding jobs at pace over the past year, and staff-cutting programs are set to be the order of the day moving into 2024. Record companies are busy rationalizing their workforces, as are music streaming companies, with Spotify leading the layoffs charge. While such reorganizations are about trimming costs, they’re also about preparing companies for a round of technical innovations that will lead to the transformation of business practices. Filesharing and streaming led to a huge amount of disruption some 20 years ago; now, it looks like music organizations are doing what they can to position themselves for a different kind of tech future.

NEWS FEATURE: Pressure mounts on European legislators to find a way to boost authors’ streaming income
The European Parliament has called for legislators to develop a set of rules to ensure that the music streaming sector is fair and sustainable, promotes cultural diversity, and protects rights holders from abuses by generative artificial intelligence (AI) systems. A resolution adopted unanimously by MEPs has called for the imbalance in revenue allocation from the music streaming market to be addressed, as the current rights distribution system leaves a majority of authors and performers with very low compensation. The resolution is insisting on a new European Union legal framework for the sector. Several industry groups responded positively to the vote. However, generating extra for authors will not be an easy process and little progress is likely to be achieved before this year’s European Parliament elections.

SECTOR ANALYSIS: The telco music bundle wanes, but partnerships with operators can still boost uptake in emerging markets
Partnerships between music streaming services and mobile operators have evolved over the years. Not so long ago, plenty of operators provided access to one of the many international music services free of charge as part of one of their subscription tiers. However, over time, bundle deals have become less generous. Few operators provide any hard bundles, with an increasing number simply promoting one or two services, while others offer billing or zero rating. The different levels of recorded-music market development worldwide have resulted in varying approaches to bundle rollouts. However, while operators in developed markets have shifted their focus to audiovisual entertainment, the usefulness of the music bundle should not be overlooked, particularly in less developed countries that are only just starting to live up to their emerging market tag.

COUNTRY REPORT: India
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed India music industry report. India is the second most populous country in the world, just behind neighboring China. The size of the population exceeded 1.4 billion for the first time in 2022, while the number of households topped the 300-million mark. However, despite such a sizable population, India’s different music industry sectors have always underperformed. Widespread music piracy has long hindered recorded-music sales, and rights collections have suffered from adverse legal rulings and a lack of licensing. The live sector has struggled with infrastructure shortcomings and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. But despite the problems, there are real signs that the world’s biggest emerging market is living up to its billing. In the last few years, retail sales of recorded-music have been on the up, and rights collections have benefited greatly from a deal between authors’ society IPRS and Google for music use by YouTube. Moreover, live music is back on track, with ticket sales to concert tours and festivals already back to prepandemic levels.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with South Africa country report

The first issue of Music & Copyright for 2024 is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: Stability for SGAE with collection gains and a forecast of more to come.
Spanish authors’ society SGAE is expecting a rise in collections this year after registering a better-than-expected set of results for 2023. Preliminary results for last year suggest total income was the highest for 15 years and was second only to the record year of 2010. Moreover, the society is expecting further growth this year with gains forecast for all the main collections sources. Of all the main authors’ societies in Europe, SGAE has figured more in national mainstream news than any other collective management organization (CMO) for reasons not always positive. A temporary expulsion from CISAC in 2019 marked a low point. However, the society was readmitted to the federation in 2021 after making reforms to its operations. Moreover, recent results, along with this year’s positive preliminaries and forecasts, suggest that the troubled times of several years ago are firmly in the past.

NEWS FEATURE: A busy start to the year for copyright infringement claims
Copyright infringement claims and cases of artist plagiarism have been a feature of the music industry for many years. Should a claim be successful, not only are millions of dollars at stake, but the reputations of some of the world’s biggest artists renowned for their songwriting capabilities can also take a hit. Proving one artist or songwriter has copied another’s work requires two key elements. To begin with, there must be substantial similarity between the two works in question. Also, it must be proved that an accused has either heard or be presumed to have heard the original work before writing the infringing track. While 2023 had its fair share of cases and claims, 2024 has begun with a flurry of legal developments, suggesting this year will carry on where last year left off.

SECTOR ANALYSIS: The climate crisis demands real behavioral change all across the music business
The music industry seems busy doing its bit to help tackle climate change. The recorded-music majors are part of a new initiative that seeks to trim the sector’s carbon footprint, while a music sustainability summit is scheduled for early February in the US. Efforts are underway to mitigate the environmental damage caused by vinyl production. Furthermore, the live music business is also exploring ways toward a lower-carbon future. However, previous greening projects seem to have fallen by the wayside, and there are concerns that some undertakings are simply good for image. The music industry needs to walk the talk.

COUNTRY REPORT: South Africa
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed South Africa music industry report. South Africa is Africa’s biggest music market. Consumer spending on recorded-music and royalty collections is significantly higher in the country than in any other market in the region. Despite its geographic location, South Africa is more akin to a Western music market and has far more in common with countries in Europe and North America than it does with its neighbors. However, although this means South Africa has a more developed music market, per capita spending on recorded-music is still extremely low. Moreover, the same problems encountered in the developed world, in the shift from physical formats to digital and downloads to access, have been experienced in the country. However, even though the rise in high-speed internet access has exacerbated problems associated with the unauthorized distribution of music, higher digital sales, rising smartphone penetration, and the rollout of several international streaming services suggest the market has a bright future.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with Poland country report

The final issue of Music & Copyright for 2023 is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: Fake streams issue needs tackling with true industry cooperation
Streaming fraud has been an enduring problem for the recorded-music business, but only recently have music companies appeared to take its threat a little more seriously. With as many as 10% of all streams across digital music platforms estimated to be fake, the practice of artificial streaming with the deployment of bots used to mimic listeners distorts both the music charts and the royalties payment system. There have been efforts to suppress the activity, but a serious concerted undertaking has been lacking. Music companies seem determined to go it alone and protect what they regard as proprietary intelligence. That stance isn’t the best way to help curb illicit streaming activity.

NEWS FEATURE: Record year for SAMRO despite difficult trading conditions for music users
Despite tough trading conditions, Africa’s largest authors’ society, the South African Music Rights Organization (SAMRO), has reported a positive set of results for music royalties and distributions for the 12 months ending June. Although the country has shaken off most of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, macroeconomic problems continue to affect creators and music users. However, total revenue increased to a new record high. Music rights receipts benefited from a big bounce back for general licensing and an almost doubling of digital income. Overseas receipts registered modest growth after some sharp gains in the two prior reporting periods. Both distributions and distributable revenue were up, with SAMRO making a record number of payouts in the year.

SECTOR ANALYSIS: The live music bounce back continues with record attendance and ticket sales
For two years, the live music sector effectively shut down, with live performance all but wiped out as the world battled to control the COVID-19 virus. Although the sector returned with a bang last year as big-name artists headed out on tour and a pent-up consumer demand for live shows was released, this year has seen new records set, with spending on tickets rising to new highs. Taylor Swift has become the first artist to top the $1bn mark for ticket sales in a single year, while other popular artists are selling out stadiums and arenas. However, while the top end of the live sector is doing just fine, smaller artists and venues may not be faring quite so well. Evidence suggests that consumers are choosing to cut back on the number of live events they attend, with smaller shows paying the ultimate price.

COUNTRY REPORT: Poland
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed Poland music industry report. Poland is one of Eastern Europe’s largest recorded-music markets, second only to Russia. However, the country is the region’s leader in trade earnings from the sale of physical formats and revenue from performance rights. For several years, high levels of piracy restricted efforts to establish a digital sector, but rising consumer interest in streaming and subscriptions has led to access becoming the dominant form of recorded-music consumption. Although the country had registered successive annual gains in recorded-music trade sales for several years, problems associated with the COVID-19 pandemic saw the sector contract in 2020. However, sales bounced back in 2021, and last year saw trade revenue register another healthy bump. Positive midyear year results for 2023 suggest that another 12 months of growth is on the cards. Authors’ society ZAiKS also suffered a dip in collections due to the pandemic, but receipts returned to growth in 2021, and last year, the total jumped to a new record high. Live music was the sector hardest hit by the pandemic. Although spending on tickets has risen for two consecutive years, forecasts suggest that the total is not going to return to prepandemic levels for a couple of years.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with Australia country report

The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.

SPECIAL FOCUS: Spotify is the Middle East app download market share leader, but YouTube and SoundCloud head absolute MAU figures
Omdia’s Middle East Market Opportunity Index, 2023, published in November, illustrated the prospect levels for recorded-music sales in 10 of the region’s countries. Although all the major international music streaming services are active in the region, there are no official figures detailing which service is the most popular and what the general level of streaming interest is. To try and plug this hole, Omdia has analyzed app download and monthly active user figures from Sensor Tower. All the countries in the Middle East where Sensor Tower data is available have shown that significant numbers of consumers have at least experimented with music streaming. As the opportunity index demonstrated, the climate for recorded-music sales has changed. Moreover, the Sensor Tower data shows that the competition for users is hotting up.

NEWS FEATURE: Japan heading for third straight year of recorded-music sales growth
New figures published by the Japanese recorded-music trade association, the RIAJ, show that digital music sales in the first nine months of this year grew at a double-digit percentage point rate for the fourth year in a row. Three of the four streaming revenue sources registered positive results, with only subscription video suffering a dip. Audio subscriptions’ dominance of digital sales has continued to grow, with the revenue stream now accounting for close to three-quarters of the digital total. Physical formats have also registered a positive year so far, with the growth rate in high single figures. The combined revenue total of physical production and digital trade sales suggests that Japan will secure recorded-music growth for a third straight year.

SECTOR ANALYSIS: Music streamers dive deeper into tech partnerships to boost subscriber uptake
Music streamers have long depended on partnerships to promote their services and acquire subscribers, and they continue to do deals with other entertainment platforms, such as video and gaming, in their bids to boost penetration. However, they are increasingly looking to ally with developers of frontline technologies, in particular those with artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. Expect to see more tie-ups of this kind as operators look to, for example, power up their recommendation tools for music tracks and podcasts, as well as move into synthetic and cloned voices for their audiobook offerings. Getting into bed with innovators—as Spotify has recently done with Google Cloud and its AI capabilities—is a way of gaining an edge over the competition.

COUNTRY REPORT: Australia
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed Australia music industry report. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, all Australian music industry sectors experienced a prolonged period of growth. Recorded-music sales had registered consecutive annual increases, with growing numbers of consumers happy to stream music rather than own it. Authors’ rights collections were also on the up, and ticket sales for live music events were breaking records. However, the pandemic touched all the country’s music sectors, some significantly more so than others. Recorded-music sales weathered the storm and have now registered growth for eight consecutive years. Collections for APRA AMCOS also maintained consistent annual increases, and rights receipts are now twice what they were just seven years ago. However, live music suffered a major dip, as revenue and attendance fell sharply. Thankfully, live performance has returned, and the sector is well on course to return to prepandemic levels.

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