New issue of Music & Copyright with Spain country report

New issue of Music & Copyright with Spain country report

Time Stamp: November 21, 2023 9:31 AM
Source Node: 2975698

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

SPECIAL FOCUS: The fair use claims and counterclaims of using copyrighted works to train generative AI systems
Artificial intelligence (AI) and technology systems’ ability to create or recreate works without human input is a subject that is polarizing the views of rights holders and digital rights advocates. While the benefits to music production from the use of AI are clear, it is the training of generative AI systems through the use of copyrighted works that is setting opinions apart. In the US, a consultation on copyright and AI launched by the Copyright Office has drawn some submissions that illustrate how each side sees the future of generative AI. Moreover, the submissions also highlight the difficulties faced when considering whether legislative or regulatory steps are warranted and what, if any, those steps should involve.

NEWS FEATURE: New SIAE report details strong recovery in Italy’s live music sector
Italian authors’ society SIAE has revealed performance details for the country’s live music sector in 2022. After suffering two turbulent years, with shows and events shuttered to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, last year marked something of a rebound. Unsurprisingly, all metrics were up against 2021, but expenditure, attendance, and the number of live music events were all higher than in 2019. However, despite the positive performance for concerts, almost all other live event sectors are still short of returning to prepandemic levels. Given that government restrictions on movement were still in place in the early part of 2022, this year will be the first since 2019 that event businesses and promoters will have been able to trade without limitations.

SECTOR ANALYSIS: Music streamers primed to push prices up to further monetize their subscribers
In a bid to increase subscriber numbers, music streaming companies stayed faithful to the $10 subscription charge for longer than they should have. But that price point for a standard subscription has been consigned to history by the major providers who have now tagged on an extra dollar a month. Moreover, signs are that more hikes are in the pipeline and are imminent—Deezer has already moved up to €12 ($13) in Europe. It’s clear that higher charges have minimal impact on churn, so audio streamers can be bold and follow their video-streaming counterparts in hiking those prices regularly.

COUNTRY REPORT: Spain
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 report. Spain is one of Europe’s mid-tier music markets. The country’s recorded-music sector was one of the regions worst hit by digital piracy after the turn of the century. Although piracy levels still remain stubbornly high in the country, spending on recorded-music has recovered somewhat. Despite the impact of COVID-19 on the physical sector, with many brick-and-mortar retailers forced to close for long periods as part of government efforts to limit the spread of the virus, streaming gains boosted the overall sales total. Physical sales registered a significant bounce back in 2021 but suffered a downturn in 2022. For the first half of this year, both digital and physical sales saw growth. UMG maintained its position as the biggest music company despite its share edging down. All three majors lost share last year to the indie sector. Collections for authors’ society SGAE registered sharp growth, with the 2022 total topping the 2018 record high. Although Spain’s live sector saw a modest return to growth in 2021, last year saw live sales more than double, with the total eclipsing prepandemic records.

If you would like more information about the newsletter or to set up a subscription, then send us an email Alternatively, if you would like to download a sample copy, just go here.

Time Stamp:

More from Music and Copyright Blog