The latest issue of Music & Copyright is now available for subscribers to download. Here are some of the highlights.
Instagram video gives music new social traction
In June, Facebook-owned Instagram upped its content game with the launch of its first long-form video service, IGTV. This new platform could be an opportunity for music creators. Artists have long used Instagram to document their lives and get closer to their fans. IGTV should enable them to boost fan engagement. Furthermore, long-form video gives Instagram a way to take on YouTube and Musical.ly in the music space. Artist should produce long-form video to post to IGTV as soon as possible to pick up views, as the platform is likely to become populated with a high level of content. Leading brands such as Nike, Gucci, and Netflix are already active in the new space.
Four years of record collections for Czech authors’ society OSA
Czech authors’ society OSA has reported a fourth consecutive year of growth for royalty collections. Moreover, the setting of a new record saw OSA maintain its position as a billion-koruna society. All the main sectors saw an increase last year, with digital income registering the highest growth rate. However, despite the jump in collections, digital remains a small source of income for Czech authors and publishers. Public performance held on to its position as the biggest collection source for OSA, having taken the top spot from broadcasting in 2016. A higher increase in costs than collections meant costs as a share of the total collected increased slightly. Total distributions to local authors were down last year, but payments to Czech publishers and overseas societies were up.
JASRAC reports slight dip in royalty collections and distributions
Japanese authors’ society JASRAC has reported a slight fall in royalty collections for the 12 months to end-March 2018, after a flat previous financial year. The big two domestic collection sources of general performance and broadcasting both registered growth. Background music was the only performance revenue source to suffer a year-on-year decline. Overall performance income increased, along with digital collections, but the ongoing decline in mechanical royalties caused by the steady fall in sales of physical soundcarriers more than offset the gains elsewhere. In line with the fall in collections, distributions to its members were down in the latest financial year, with broadcasting the biggest single source of earnings for Japanese authors, ahead of general licensing.
Germany country report
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed Germany music industry report. The steady rise in retail sales of recorded music in Germany ground to a halt last year after four straight years of growth. However, although Germany missed out on five straight years of rising sales, the prospects of a return to growth are positive because of the increasing consumer interest in music access services. One slight worry is the big fall last year in spending on physical formats. Although revenue from access services easily accounts for the biggest share of digital music income, CD albums remain the most popular format for German consumers, and should spending on CDs fall away at any speed then the market could suffer for another year or two. Authors’ society GEMA went one better than the recorded-music sector, recording five straight years of revenue growth with total collections last year topping €1bn ($1.2bn) for the second year running. Germany’s live music sector continues to deliver stable results. However, there have been some notable shifts within the market, largely following the entry of Live Nation at the beginning of 2016.
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