Thanks to the many concerts, combined with the increase in digital income, the royalties collected for artists around the world increased by 7.6%, reaching a new record of 13.1 billion euros in 2023, according to the annual study published on Thursday (October 24) by the Confederation International of Societies of Authors and Composers (Cisac), the main global network of societies of authors.
“In the last five years, CISAC member companies have raised an additional €3 billion for authors and rights holders”emphasized its general manager, Gadi Oron. This improvement can be explained by the increase in subscription flow in recent years, which seems to be reaching maturity.
Digital, which overtook TV and radio in 2022 to emerge as the primary source of income for creators, now accounts for 35% of royalties collected, compared to 30% for television and broadcasting – a sector now in decline – and 25% for live, which continues its robust recovery worldwide.
The study highlights that the amounts collected have increased” in all regions, especially in Latin America »especially in Brazil and Mexico. With revenues growing by 8%, Western Europe alone accounts for 50.9% of global collections.
“cry of alarm”
Once again, Cisac reminds us how streaming, despite its growth, is not nirvana for artists: “The vast majority of creators say streaming can’t allow them to have a career or make a living”notes the study.
More than 11,500 artists, including ABBA’s Björn Ulvaeus, president of Cisac, signed a petition on Tuesday, October 22 in Los Angeles (California) against the use of their creations to feed artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. The Swedish singer supported the view on behalf of CISAC: “I am a user and a big fan of AI tools. I have always been convinced that we can only embrace new technologies and that it is pointless to try to stop them, but there is a big “but”: this must never be done at the cost of compromising copyright and human rights. . »
According to him, the latest studies conducted in France, Germany and Australia, which predict significant losses of income for creators due to AI, constitute “a cry of alarm for (…) all”. in his eyes “A poorly regulated AI environment can destroy the careers of many artists. He could be the next Paul McCartney or the next Taylor Swift.”
