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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• Source: https://musicandcopyright.wordpress.com/2023/12/19/new-issue-of-music-copyright-with-poland-country-report-5/