Recorded-music market share gains for SME and the indies, publishing share growth for UMPG and WCM

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. According to the survey, UMG remained the top company for combined physical and digital recorded-music trade revenue last year, although the company’s share edged down slightly to 31.9% from 32% in 2021 (see Figure 1). For digital revenue only, UMG’s share slipped to 33% from 33.3%, while its physical share increased to 27.6% from 26.8%. The shares are based on revenue received by each company/grouping.

Figure 1: Record companies, physical- and digital-revenue market shares, 2021 and 2022

Source: Music & Copyright

SME enhanced its position as the second-largest record company. Its combined digital/physical market share increased for the fourth consecutive year, ending 2022 at 22.1% compared with 21.7% in 2021. SME’s digital share grew to 23.2% from 22.6%, while its physical share was down to 17.7% from 18.5%. 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 22.6% from 21.9% (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Record companies, total recorded-music-revenue market shares, 2021 and 2022

Source: Music & Copyright

The smaller of the three majors, WMG, suffered a dip in share for both digital and physical sales. According to Music & Copyright, WMG’s digital share was down last year, to 17.2% from 18.2% in 2021. The company’s share for physical sales fell to 10.9% from 11.4%. Of the three majors, WMG had the biggest difference between its digital and physical shares—6.3 percentage points compared with 5.4 points for UMG and 5.5 points for SME.

Collectively, the independents held the biggest share of physical formats. Moreover, the share was up last year, to 43.7% from 43.2% in 2021. Also, the independents’ digital share increased to 26.5% from 25.9%. The results meant the combined digital/physical revenue share for independent companies grew to 30% from 29.5%.

Little change in music publishing shares
In line with the way Music & Copyright determines global recorded-music market shares, music publishing shares are also based on revenue received by each company. Music & Copyright has calculated that global music publishing revenue increased 17.7% last year, to $8.1bn from $6.9bn in 2021. The growth rate was marginally higher than the 17.6% rise in 2021 but more than three times the 5.2% growth in 2020. Although Sony maintained its leading position ahead of UMPG, the gap between the two narrowed to 1.3 percentage points from 1.7 points in 2021. Sony’s share, which consists of revenue from Sony Music Publishing (rebranded from Sony/ATV in early 2021), EMI Music Publishing (EMI MP), and Sony Music Publishing Japan, edged down to 24.7% from 24.9% (see Figure 3).

Figure 3: Music-publishing companies, revenue market shares, 2021 and 2022

Source: Music & Copyright

UMPG’s publishing share grew last year, to 23.4% from 23.2% in 2021. Third-placed WCM registered the second consecutive annual rise in share. Music & Copyright estimates the company’s share increased to 12% from 11.8%. Although the collective share of independent music publishers maintained a healthy lead, the share slipped slightly last year, to 40% from 40.1%.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with Japan country report

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

Global music market set to double in value, with streaming and live the big growth providers
US investment bank Goldman Sachs has published its latest set of forecasts for the global music industry. In what can only be described as eyewatering numbers, the bank is expecting major growth for the recorded-music, music publishing, and live music sectors. Forecasts for the global total in all years have been raised from the previous estimations published 12 months ago. Streaming gains are set to boost the recorded-music and publishing totals, with growth driven by volume, price, and emerging platforms. Despite the current economic problems, Goldman Sachs believes music streaming will be able to weather any downturn. The bank also sees the digital distribution landscape as competitive, with no one service dominating. Although Spotify is the global leader, the Swedish service is set to lose market share to services currently on the up, such as YouTube Music and Tencent Music Entertainment. Live music is set for a major bounce back after almost two years of disruption, with total revenue for the sector this year almost back to prepandemic levels.

Erratic annual performance for SABAM continues, with growth at home but declining overseas income
Belgian authors’ society SABAM has reported a return to growth for collections, with several of the performance-based revenue streams improving after a year beset by COVID-19 restrictions and sector closures. Broadcasting income increased, but it was background music that recorded the biggest bounce back as receipts rose sharply. Despite the popularity of music streaming in Belgium, digital income was down. However, the dip was caused by an adjustment to previous years’ income accounted for in 2021. Live suffered a second year of tumbling collections, although the rate of decline slowed significantly. Mechanicals benefited from physical formats’ sharp rise in sales. However, the time gap between money in and money out meant distributions were down last year, as payments were based on collections made in the first year of the pandemic.

DIY music needs a dose of creativity, both from artists and distributors
The withdrawal from the do-it-yourself (DIY) music space by two music business big hitters could be taken as a sign that the independent recorded-music scene is flagging. That’s not the case, however, with the likes of TuneCore, DistroKid, and CD Baby still offering what are proving to be essential platforms for up-and-coming artists. And recent changes to pricing should make it easier for musicians to develop new release strategies that make the most of their recorded output. However, it would be great to see these services create more new features that could squeeze greater value out of recordings, as it remains just as difficult for most unsigned artists to make a living from their music.

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. Of all the world’s leading recorded-music markets, Japan has arguably been the most erratic, with some sizable differences in annual performance. Looking back over the last 10 years or so, trade revenue from recorded-music sales has been inconsistent, with one or two years of growth followed by a couple of years of decline. However, despite record company income from physical formats continuing to be unpredictable, the digital sector has stabilized. Moreover, following a lengthy reliance on downloads, the subscription sector now generates around three quarters of the total digital revenue for the local industry.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with Canada country report

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

Reassessing the impact of COVID-19 on the music industry
Over the last 12-months of so, all sectors of the music industry have been forced to adjust to the impact on their businesses from the COVID-19 pandemic. Trading conditions have been unprecedented, and the overall situation remains fluid given the continued prevalence of the virus in some parts of the world. The live sector is yet to start on the road to recovery. Some trials and experiments to test the safety of live performance have been conducted, but the industry remains on hold. In contrast, the recorded-music sector has suffered far less, with streaming gains more than offsetting all other losses, and the continued renaissance of vinyl providing a buffer to the ongoing demise of the CD. Revenue from performance rights has fallen and there is more bad news to come on that front in the current year. Revenue for music publishers was mostly positive last year, but the timeline in processing distributions means the sector is only just experiencing a downturn.

PRS for Music details the impact of COVID-19 on collections
UK authors’ society PRS for Music has reported its financial results for 2020, a year dominated by the COVID-19 virus and one that will long be remembered as the worst in terms of year-on-year performance. Three of the four main revenue streams suffered a decline with public performance the hardest hit. The shuttering of the live sector in the UK at the end of March last year resulted in a massive fall in live collections, while restrictions on the hospitality and nightlife sectors led to similar rates of decline for pubs and clubs, and hotels and restaurants. Digital was the only sector to experience growth with collections from streaming, VOD, and downloads all rising. International income suffered a more modest decline. However, a number of major overseas societies will not distribute 2020 collections until 2021, and so a further dip in international receipts is expected. While distributions to its members increased to a new record, PRS is expecting the collection dip last year to take its toll on distributions in the current year.

How record companies are making the music play beyond the core
The horizons of the recorded-music business now seem to know few bounds. Organizations operating in the gaming and esports sectors have already established themselves as clear and vibrant partners, with music and artists set for further integration into games titles and live events. Podcasting is another obvious area for development, with the music scene and its protagonists always able to provide ripe material for compelling storytelling, while the sound tracking of strong narratives is something of a no-brainer. Perhaps an extreme development is UMG’s rollout of its hotels initiative in three locations in the US. Even so, with all these kinds of ventures, record companies need to ensure that the fit is good, both in terms of the sector they intend to move and shake in and the consumers who inhabit them.

Canada country report
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed Canada music industry report. Canada is one of the world’s bigger music markets. Although an ever-present in the top 10, the country has slipped a couple of places in recent years with South Korea and China registering higher gains in trade sales. Last year, however, Canada maintained its position as the eighth biggest recorded-music market, extending its lead slightly over ninth-placed Australia. Recorded-music consumption levels were up last year, along with trade sales. Streaming again registered healthy growth, albeit at a slowing rate. Notable in last year’s results was that trade revenue of vinyl overtook CDs with the former scoring a big increase in sales that more than offset lower sales of the latter. Inevitably with the impact on music users in the country from COVID-19, performance rights revenue fell sharply. For the second straight year, UMG and SME enhanced their market share lead over WMG and the independents. SOCAN is yet to publish collection results for 2020. However, based on member guidance, Omdia estimates receipts were down year-on-year, with online the only positive. Canada’s live sector has been badly hit by the pandemic with ticket sales falling to the lowest level for more than 20 years.

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UMG and SME put the market share squeeze on WMG and the independent sector

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. In a repeat of the last review, UMG enhanced its position as the global leader. The company registered growth in its recorded-music market share, while the publishing unit UMPG saw the biggest share gain for any music publisher for more than 10 years. SME saw its total recorded-music share return to growth after three years of decline. Although Sony’s publishing share was down year-on-year, the company’s market share for total music revenue edged upwards. Smaller major WMG suffered a share fall for both recorded-music and music publishing. The independent sector also saw its recorded-music and music publishing shares edge down. Although the indie grouping remained the clear leader for publishing, recorded-music gains for UMG saw the combined indie company share slip to second spot.

Recorded-music share gains for UMG and SME
According to Music & Copyright, UMG increased its share of combined physical and digital recorded-music trade revenue last year, to 32.1%, from 31.8% in 2019 (see Figure 1). For digital revenue only, UMG’s share was up, to 34.1%, from 33.8%, while its physical share was unchanged, at 25.8%.

Figure 1: Record companies, physical- and digital-revenue market shares, 2019 and 2020
Source: Music & Copyright

SME was the second-largest record company and its combined physical/digital market share also increased last year, to 20.6%, from 19.8% in 2019. Ending three straight years of decline, SME’s physical format share grew, to 21.3%, from 18.3%, while the company’s digital market share edged up, to 20.5%, from 20.2%. 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, was up, to 20.8%, from 20.3% (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Record companies, total recorded-music-revenue market shares, 2019 and 2020
Source: Music & Copyright

The smaller of the three majors, WMG, experienced a share fall for both physical and digital. Furthermore, the gap between its physical and digital shares widened. WMG’s physical format share slipped, to 10.5%, from 11.7%, while its digital share experienced a more modest decline, to 17.6%, from 17.9%.
Although the independent sector’s physical share remained high, at 42.4%, the share was down on the prior year’s 44.2%. The digital share also fell last year, to 27.9%, from 28.1%. The results meant the combined physical/digital revenue share for independent companies decreased, from 31.9% to 31.6%, just behind leading major UMG.

Sony just holds on to the publishing lead
In line the way in which Music & Copyright determines global recorded-music market shares, music publishing market shares are also based on revenue received by each company. Music & Copyright has calculated that global music publishing revenue grew 5.2% last year, to $5.9bn, from $5.6bn in 2019. The growth rate was up on the 2.2% rise in 2019, but down on the 11.4% increase in 2018. Sony maintained its leading position ahead of UMPG, but the gap between the two narrowed, to just 1.5 percentage points. Sony’s share, which is made up of revenue from Sony/ATV, EMI Music Publishing (EMI MP), and Sony Music Publishing Japan, slipped slightly, to 24.5%, from 25% (see Figure 3). Sony took the top spot in 2013 following the purchase of EMI MP by a Sony-led consortium in 2012. Sony then acquired the approximate 60% of the interest in EMI MP held by the consortium in November 2018, resulting in EMI MP becoming a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony.

Figure 3: Music-publishing companies, revenue market shares, 2019 and 2020
Source: Music & Copyright

UMPG enhanced its position as the second-largest music publisher with a share increase of two percentage points, to 23%, from 21%. Furthermore, for the second year in a row, UMPG was the only major publisher to increase its share. Third placed Warner Chappell Music saw its share fall, to 11.2%, from 11.6%. Although the collective share of independent music publishers maintained a healthy lead, the share slipped one percentage point, to 41.3% last year, from 42.3% in 2019.

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UMG increases recorded-music market share lead, indies enhance publishing dominance

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. In a repeat of the last review, UMG enhanced its position as the global leader. The company registered gains in both digital and physical market shares, while the publishing unit UMPG saw its share rise. Second-placed SME had a flat year for digital but lost share overall because of a dip in the company’s physical format share. For publishing, Sony’s share was down for the second consecutive year. Smaller major WMG saw its digital share rise but the overall recorded-music performance was unchanged year-on-year because of a dip in the company’s physical share. The independent sector had a mixed year with a fall in its digital recorded share more than offsetting a slight rise in the physical share. The sector enhanced its publishing dominance with a second straight year of share growth.

UMG makes share gains at the indies expense
According to Music & Copyright, UMG increased its share of combined physical and digital recorded-music trade revenue last year, to 31.8% from 29.8% in 2018 (see Figure 1). For digital revenue only, UMG’s share was up to 33.8% from 32.4%, while its physical share grew to 25.8% from 23.4%.

Figure 1: Record companies, physical- and digital-revenue market shares, 2018 and 2019
Source: Music & Copyright

SME was the second-largest record company, although its combined physical/digital market share slipped slightly last year to 19.8% from 19.9% in 2018. For the third consecutive year, SME registered a year-on-year fall in its physical format performance with a dip in share to 18.3% from 19.2%. However, following two years of decline, SME’s digital market share was unchanged last year, at 20.2%. The company’s share of all recorded-music trade revenue, which includes licensing and other revenue as well as income from physical and digital music sales, edged down, to 20.3% from 20.5% (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Record companies, total recorded-music-revenue market shares, 2018 and 2019
Source: Music & Copyright

The smaller of the three majors, WMG, experienced a reversal of its 2018 results, when the company’s digital share was down and its physical share up. Last year. WMG’s digital share increased slightly to 17.9% from 17.7%, while its physical share slipped to 11.7% from 13.4%. Overall, WMG’s combined physical/digital share edged down to 16.4% from 16.5%, while its total revenue share was unchanged at 16%.
Despite the changes in the majors’ shares, independent record companies’ combined physical/digital revenue share remained ahead of UMG’s, but only just. The independent company sector’s physical share stayed high at 44.2%, but a fall in the sector’s digital share resulted in the physical/digital share decreasing to 32% from 33.8%.

Slowdown in music publishing
In line the way in which Music & Copyright determines global recorded-music market shares, music publishing market shares are also based on revenue received by each company. Music & Copyright has calculated that global music publishing revenue grew 2.2% last year to $5.59bn from $5.47bn in 2018. The growth rate was notably lower than the 11.4% rise in 2018 and 11.2% increase in 2017. Sony maintained its leading position ahead of UMPG but suffered a fall in share for the second consecutive year. Sony’s share, which is made up of revenue from Sony/ATV, EMI Music Publishing (EMI MP), and Sony Music Publishing Japan, was down a single percentage point, to 26% from 27% (see Figure 3). Sony took the top spot in 2013 following the purchase of EMI MP by a Sony-led consortium in 2012. Sony then acquired the approximate 60% of the interest in EMI MP held by the consortium in November 2018, resulting in EMI MP becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony.

Figure 3: Music-publishing companies, revenue market shares, 2018 and 2019
Source: Music & Copyright

UMPG was the second-largest music publisher last year. Music & Copyright estimates the company’s share grew for the second year in a row, to 21% from 20.2% in 2018. Furthermore, UMPG was the only major publisher to increase its share. Third placed Warner Chappell Music’s share was down last year, to 11.6% from 12.3%. The collective share of independent music publishers was up, to 42.3% from 41.4%.

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New issue of Music & Copyright with Spain country report

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

Flat year for authors’ royalty collections in 2014
Combined royalty collections for the 20 biggest authors’ societies and organizations that have published results increased 1.6% in 2014. Although the growth rate was down on the 2.8% rise in 2013, it marked the second consecutive year of rising collections after a slight dip in 2012. French authors’ society SACEM was the leader in terms of collections, with European collective rights management organizations (CMOs) accounting for the top three positions. However, the US is the clear leader in terms of authors’ collections at country level with combined collections by the rights organizations ASCAP and BMI surpassing the $2bn mark. Europe is biggest region, accounting for more than half of the global total.

Big jump in global performance rights earnings in 2014
Performance rights distributions broke new records in 2014 with total payments rising to their highest levels and distributions to performers topping $1bn for the first time. Often seen as the poor relation to authors’ rights, combined global payments to producers and performers exceeded $2.4bn and accounted for just under 15% of global recorded music industry revenue. Global receipts from performance rights remain dominated by the US organization SoundExchange and the continued growth in payments to SoundExchange is the biggest source of growth for the performance rights sector. However, even excluding the US organization, distributions to performers and producers were still up on 2013, albeit by a reduced rate.

Music goes mobile in India with Saavn leading the charge
Indian digital music provider Saavn had been grabbing headlines recently as “India’s answer to Spotify.” The company secured a huge injection of cash last summer and has some high-profile names in its management team, while its user numbers are growing apace. But Saavn faces some serious competition, not least from powerful telcos such as Airtel. Moreover, Apple Music landed in India during the summer and is clearly very well placed to take market share. As elsewhere, digital music consumption is migrating to mobile, so getting services right on that platform in a fast-growing smartphone market will be key. Content will be important too, with local music an essential part of the mix for Indian consumers.

Spain country report
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed Spain music industry profile. Spain’s music industry is on something of a roll at the moment after many years of contraction. Recorded music sales increased in 2014, the first time in 12 years, and have continued to rise this year. Royalty collections in the country edged up in 2014 after three straight years of decline. The live sector also registered a positive year with turnover up and prospects for 2015 thought to be good. The optimistic figures come at a time when the Spanish economy is showing real signs of improvement. However, it is worth remembering that the music industry, particularly the recorded music sector, has a long way to go before it can declare itself out of the woods. Also, the live sector is continuing to push for a lowering of the VAT rate on cultural events, which continues to exert downward pressure on promoters’ earnings.

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Music & Copyright is published by Ovum.

Recorded music market share gains for WMG in 2014, Sony/ATV is the publishing leader

The annual survey by Ovum publication Music & Copyright of the recorded music and music publishing sectors has revealed that recorded-music leader UMG lost market share in 2014, mainly as a result of the sale of the Parlophone Label Group (PLG) to WMG in 2013, which formed part of EMI Recorded Music acquisition requirements. UMG’s loss was WMG’s gain and the smallest of the three majors narrowed the gap on second-placed SME. Sony/ATV held its lead in music publishing, but the collective share of the independent publishing sector was the highest overall.

Majors cede a little recorded-music market share to the independents
Following two years of consolidation in the recorded-music and music-publishing sectors after the breakup of EMI Music Group and the subsequent sales of EMI’s record and publishing divisions, restructuring and company selloffs have had an impact on the market share figures for the major music groups in 2014.
UMG acquired EMI Recorded Music and a Sony-led consortium of companies bought EMI Music Publishing in 2012. National and regulatory approval required a number of company sales, which were completed with the sale of the PLG in July 2013. The timing of the sale meant year-on-year market-share comparisons for UMG and WMG this year and in 2013 were affected. Moreover, at the time of the PLG acquisition by WMG, the major said it would sell some of the PLG assets, or their equivalent value of owned assets, to independent companies. Strong interest by the independent sector has delayed the asset sales with more than 140 companies reported to have bid for around 11,000 artist catalogs. Should the selloffs be completed this year, WMG’s 2015 market share may well be negatively affected.

UMG is the recorded-music leader despite a market share dip
According to Music & Copyright’s annual survey of the music industry, UMG had a 34.1% share of the combined physical and digital recorded music trade revenue last year, down from 36.7% in 2013. For physical revenue only, UMG’s share stood at 32.3%, while its digital share was 36.1%. SME was the second-largest music company, with a virtually unchanged combined physical/digital market share of 22.5%.

Record companies, physical and digital revenue market shares, 2012–14

Source: Music & Copyright

The smallest of the three majors, WMG, was the only company to experience an increase in both physical and digital shares: Its share of revenue from physical recorded music sales was 15.7% in 2014, up from 14.8% in 2013, while the share gain was slightly lower for digital, rising to 17.7%, from 17.1%. WMG’s combined physical/digital share grew, to 16.7%, from 15.8%.
The independent record companies’ share of combined physical/digital revenue also rose last year, to 26.7%, from 25.1% in 2013. The sector increased its share of both physical and digital revenue. However, the independents’ share of physical formats is still higher than its digital share.

A healthy year for music publishing
Music & Copyright has calculated that global music publishing revenue grew 2.5% in 2014, to $4.05bn, from $3.95bn in 2013. Despite a virtually unchanged market share in 2014 of 29.5%, Sony/ATV, the joint venture between Sony and the Michael Jackson Estate, remained the global publishing leader. Although Sony/ATV and EMI MP are still separate companies, with EMI MP repertoire administered by Sony/ATV, Music & Copyright has combined the companies’ shares. EMI MP is the larger of the two companies in terms of tracks owned and administered, with a publishing catalog of around 2 million tracks, compared with 1.6 million for Sony/ATV.

Music publishing companies, revenue market shares, 2012–14

Source: Music & Copyright

UMPG is the second-largest music publisher. The company’s market share edged up slightly last year, to 23.0%, from 22.6% in 2013. Warner Chappell was the only major music publisher to suffer a fall in share in 2014.

Independent companies hold the lead
Independent music publishers have long dominated music publishing and compete well with the majors for major artists’ attention. Last year, the independent music publishing sector experienced a small increase in share: Music & Copyright estimates that independent companies accounted for 35.0% of global publishing revenue, compared with 34.8% in 2013.
BMG Rights Management is the biggest of the independent music publishers and has gained share consistently through a mixture of company acquisitions and administration deals. Music & Copyright estimates that BMG’s share of global music publishing revenue was 5.4% in 2014, up from 5.1% in 2013.
Kobalt has also made gains in the last few years, although increased revenue for the company has come from organic growth rather than through company acquisition. Music & Copyright estimates that Kobalt’s share of global publishing revenue increased to 3.9% last year, from 3.5% in 2013.

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Music & Copyright is published by Ovum.

Demystifying Pan-European digital-music rights, second edition

Informa Telecoms & Media today announced the publication of the second edition of its highly successful report Demystifying Pan-European digital-music rights. The report neatly illustrates what repertoire is controlled by what collection society or licensing hub in 30 of Europe’s most vibrant recorded-music markets.

Is repertoire fragmentation the new enemy of digital-music services in Europe?

Last year the European Commission introduced new proposals for a directive on the collective management of copyright and multiterritory licensing of music. The proposals, which target collection-society transparency and the efficient working of digital-distribution businesses in Europe, are working their way through a series of committees. After that, they must be agreed upon by the European Parliament and European Council of Ministers.

What the directive will not do is interfere with the way music publishers administer their rights. All of the major publishers and a number of independents have withdrawn the rights to certain repertoire for licensing on a multiterritorial basis. Some see these moves as a step towards the creation of a new form of fragmentation, one based on repertoire, rather than national borders. Publishers have long claimed that withdrawing certain repertoire rights streamlines the licensing process. However, music ownership can involve multiple publishers and therefore digital services that want to provide an all-encompassing offering still need to sign more licensing deals than the number of countries they operate in.

A short history of the music industry: different formats, familiar names but the same old problems

In the past 20 years or so, all sectors of the music industry have been through massive change. Format transitions, company consolidation and greater scrutiny of copyright and licensing have changed the industry beyond all recognition. But have the changes made for industry improvements, and more important, have the main players learned from their mistakes? The recent discovery of the first issues of Music & Copyright has allowed for a unique look at just how much certain things have changed, and how much they haven’t.

The newsletter’s 20-year anniversary came and went in September, but thanks to a long-standing subscriber, copies of the first 24 issues published have been found and make for interesting reading. Despite containing names that have either long since left the music industry or been swallowed up as part of industry consolidation, the headlines for a number of news stories resonate closely with happenings today.