The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.
Midyear trade results suggest a very big year for global recorded-music sales
With all the world’s major recorded-music markets and a good number of smaller ones having published midyear trade figures, an assessment of the results suggests that global recorded-music trade earnings could be heading for a particularly positive full year. Based on the numbers, combined global trade revenue from the sale of physical and digital recorded music and income from music access services will rise at the highest rate for more than 20 years. All the trade associations that have published figures have shown continued gains from music subscription services, and this earnings growth in almost all countries has more than offset declines in revenue from other formats. The ongoing dominance of a small number of markets looks likely to continue, but, as has been the case in the last couple of years, the rates of growth in less developed markets will be higher than those of the global leaders.
Music and video subscription services boost APRA AMCOS collections
Combined revenue for Australian authors’ society APRA AMCOS reached another record figure in the 12 months to end-June. Income exceeded A$300m for the third consecutive year, and the authors’ society is expecting collections to top the A$400m mark in the current financial year. Both APRA and AMCOS registered growth in the year. Broadcasting accounted for the biggest share of total collections, but a combination of factors saw digital overtake TV to become the greatest revenue source. The authors’ society commented that the rise of consumer subscriptions to music and video streaming services was the key factor underpinning revenue growth. APRA AMCOS’ expense-to-revenue ratio was down from the previous year, as was APRA’s standalone ratio. International collections increased at almost the same rate as domestic income.
Vevo looks to the TV model to become a music video star
remium music video company Vevo has been racking up impressive viewing metrics for a while, despite being overshadowed by YouTube (on whose property it gets most visibility). The company is now attempting to boost traffic to proprietary channels and make itself more attractive to advertisers by acting like a TV network. If it pulls this off, it could become the MTV for the millennial generation.
Japan country report
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed Japan music industry report. Japan is the second-largest recorded-music market in the world. According to the IFPI, the country ended last year behind the US in terms of overall trade revenue, but it was comfortably the global leader for trade income from sales of physical formats. There is momentum building around the access model, but for streaming in Japan to make any real impact on the overall recorded-music sector, annual gains will need to be significantly larger than they have been so far. Increases in streaming revenue will certainly be able to compensate for declines in download and mobile personalization sales. But access services are struggling to offset modest falls in physical format sales. Should sales of physical formats go the way they have in other developed markets and streaming continue to register only moderate levels of growth, Japan could be in for a difficult few years.
If you want to know more about Music & Copyright then follow the below links.
Music & Copyright is published by Ovum.
Music & Copyright's Blog 