New issue of Music & Copyright with South Korea country report

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

ABBA set to take the burgeoning world of avatar performance to the next level
Avatars are beginning to cut through in the music business. TV talent shows are set to provide a new platform for such digital identities, bringing performing avatars to wider audiences, while gaming environments have already shown that there’s fan appetite during a pandemic. Now, serious investment is going into the resources required to create digital versions of artists that are very much like the originals, with the technology delivering better and better facsimiles. However, avatar-driven music performances have to do more than simply deliver clones of physical concerts—there needs to be a good deal of digital value-added to the entertainment experiences to really drive engagement.

Tough year for French authors and publishers as SACEM reports fall in collections
After five straight years of collection growth, French authors’ society SACEM has suffered a dip in total rights receipts. Unsurprisingly, sectors associated with public performance experienced sharp falls because of measures introduced by the government to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus. General rights, which has traditionally been the biggest income source for SACEM, almost halved, while broadcasting revenue was affected by downward pressure on advertising. Furthermore, lower sales of physical formats meant mechanicals contracted. The big positive in the results was the continued rise in digital collections, with last year’s growth the result of renegotiations and new contracts with users as well as revenue growth and settlements. Overseas collections edged up while total revenue from mandates posted year-on-year growth.

Record collections for MCSC despite impact from COVID-19 virus
Royalty collections in China have increased for the 12th consecutive year. In September, the Chinese authors’ society MCSC published its business report for 2020, confirming that total collections had topped the previous year’s record and exceeded CNY400m ($61.9m) for the second straight year. However, the rate of increase in collections was the lowest during the current sustained period of growth. Furthermore, the modest overall rise contrasted with some sizable changes in the different revenue sources. Karaoke registered the highest gain although the total for last year was boosted by the inclusion of prior year receipts. Unsurprisingly, performance-based collection sources were impacted by COVID-19 and the measures taken by local authorities to limit the spread of the virus.

South Korea country report
In addition to the usual set of music industry statistics and news briefs, the latest issue of Music & Copyright includes a detailed South Korea music industry report. South Korea’s recorded-music industry is widely considered as the most advanced in the world. Since the turn of the century, the sector has been through a massive transformation, from being almost overrun by piracy to one that is multifaceted with both physical and digital formats and services flourishing. One of South Korea’s unique features is the relatively healthy position for CD album sales. The format remains popular amongst consumers despite the rise of digital access. Furthermore, despite restrictions on consumer movements and the shuttering of the live sector as part of the government’s efforts to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus, physical sales increased at a record rate last year. Sales of music subscriptions also registered healthy growth. Korean-produced music is increasingly popular worldwide with a number of K-pop bands scoring major chart success away from their home country. Local music groups dominate recorded-music distribution with the major labels accounting for a low market share.

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