International songwriter royalty collections surpassed $10 billion in 2021, however had been nonetheless under pre-pandemic ranges


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The royalties of publishers and songwriters collected by their firms attain globally EUR €8.48 billion in 2021 (10.02 billion USD).

Whereas this royalty whole represented a 7.2% enhance over 2020, it remained under pre-COVID ranges, underscoring the influence of lockdowns on dwell efficiency.

It relies upon CISAC‘s International Collections Report 2021, revealed Thursday, October 27.

The report confirmed that, though collections elevated from 7.91 billion euros in 2020 – reversing the 11.5% drop from the earlier yr – they had been nonetheless down 5.1% from the file of 8.94 billion euros set in 2019 earlier than the pandemic wreaked havoc on the planet (see under).



CISAC (Worldwide Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) attributed the gradual restoration to continued declines in dwell and public efficiency income in 2021, in addition to a slight decline in broadcasting.

“The end result highlights the disastrous influence of the two-year lockdown on dwell and public efficiency income, the potential for additional digital progress and the pressing want for motion to unlock extra worth for creators within the market. streaming,” stated CISAC.

CISAC’s breakdown of the figures additional reveals that collections within the dwell and background music sector fell for the second consecutive yr for €1.49 billion ($1.76 billion) as a consequence of pandemic-related restrictions on live shows, festivals, reveals and venues.

The newest determine remained 45.1% under pre-pandemic ranges in 2019, when collections reached 27.2 billion euros.



Collections of TV and radio royalties, in the meantime, remained the biggest income earner for international music collections in 2021, accounting for 37.7% of the whole at €3.194 billion ($3.77 billion)though the newest determine was down 1.8% year-on-year.

“Streaming collections have maintained a long-term trajectory of slight year-over-year decline lately, reflecting the overall shift from linear to OTT and on-demand subscription streaming,” stated Thursday. CISAC.

Digital Collectionsin the meantime, recorded the quickest progress at 27.5% year-on-year for €3.059 billion ($3.61 billion). The determine additionally elevated by 48.2% in comparison with pre-pandemic revenues in 2019.

CISAC attributed the power to robust natural progress within the streaming market, elevated music subscriptions, new and renewed offers with digital platforms like Youtube and TikTok and continued robust progress in subscription video-on-demand.


For a lot of markets, digital collections had been the first income for the music trade.

“With the shift to streaming, there was a surge in markets with digital as the principle supply of music income. The 2-year interval of the pandemic has reworked the share of digital income in these territories, notably within the Asia-Pacific area,” stated CISAC.

These markets embody Indonesia, Thailand, India, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Philippines, Mexico, Sweden, Chile and Australia.

Nonetheless, CISAC famous that digital makes use of of music creators’ works remained undervalued final yr, accounting for simply 36.1% of music creators’ collections.

Based on the CISAC report, creators of all repertoires noticed their international royalty collections attain €9.58 billion ($11.32 billion) in 2021, up 5.8% year-on-year, however that is nonetheless down from the 2019 stage of 10.11 billion euros.

That is regardless of a 27.9% leap in digital royalties spurred by progress in subscription streaming.



CISAC has highlighted the necessity to enhance the market infrastructure for streaming companies.

“Rising the world’s digital collections is CISAC’s prime precedence right this moment,” stated CISAC Director Basic Gadi Oron.

“The expansion of world digital collections is CISAC’s prime precedence right this moment.”

Gadi Oron, CISAC

“To begin with, we try to continuously enhance the administration of the information which makes it doable to steer the collections. That is why we’re transferring ahead with enhancements and new companies across the ISWC Music Works Identifier, a key a part of the streaming market infrastructure,” added Oron.

CISAC can also be dedicated to creating the (Worldwide Commonplace Musical Works Code) work extra precisely and transparently throughout your entire worth chain and to persevering with to champion a good surroundings within the areas of music, audiovisual, visible arts and different repertoires.

“The world of streaming remains to be unfinished enterprise on the subject of making certain a good surroundings for incomes a dwelling.”

Bjorn Ulvaeus, CISAC

“The world of streaming remains to be an unfinished enterprise on the subject of making certain a good surroundings for incomes a dwelling,” stated CISAC President Bjorn Ulvaeus.

CISAC expects additional progress in 2022, helped by the return of dwell live shows, theaters and exhibitions.

Nonetheless, Oron acknowledged that uncertainty stays as a result of present price of dwelling disaster.

“No matter influence it will have on royalties, I’m assured that CISAC’s international community will proceed to guide the combat for truthful worth for creators’ work,” stated Oron.

CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus stated: “Digital royalties collected by CISAC societies are rising impressively, however the world of streaming stays unfinished enterprise on the subject of making certain a good surroundings for incomes a dwelling.

“An excessive amount of information wanted to determine and compensate creators is incomplete or lacking when works are ingested on streaming companies. The result’s some huge cash sitting on the desk when it needs to be going into the creators’ pockets. »

CISAC Director Basic Gadi Oron added: “After the ten% drop recorded in 2020, the return to progress of our firms final yr is a powerful achievement. Realizing that income from dwell live shows and public venues was largely non-existent, the acceleration of digital licensing by a lot of our members to offset the decline in different areas is an actual achievement.

“The restoration is barely half achieved, nevertheless. There’s undoubtedly way more room for progress, and to realize this we have to deliver extra worth to artistic works within the digital market and promote an ecosystem fairer for creators.


All EUR to USD conversions on this report for 2021 have been made utilizing the annual common alternate charge for the calendar yr as revealed by the US Inner Income Service (IRS).


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