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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