Why 'Global South' is a limiting label for the music industry

At MIDiA, we have started critically reassessing the use of the term ‘Global South’, a phrase entrenched in industry and geopolitical discourse but increasingly unfit for purpose in today’s complex entertainment landscape. While convenient shorthand, the label flattens vast economic, cultural, and industrial differences under a single, reductive umbrella.

The music industry, in particular, suffers when relying on this framing. Markets grouped together as the ‘Global South’, from South Korea to Nigeria to Brazil, operate under entirely distinct conditions yet are frequently treated as a monolith. This oversimplification distorts strategy, obscures growth potential and perpetuates outdated hierarchies that fail to reflect today’s decentralised, digitally driven music ecosystem.

What the ‘Global South’ framework gets wrong:

Stark market differences

The term implies a uniform bloc of ‘emerging’ markets, but reality is far more fragmented, especially when considering these two ‘Global South’ markets:

• South Korea boasts 16.8 million music subscribers at a 32.4% penetration rate, on par with Western markets

• On the other hand, India only has 1.3% penetration, despite having 18.9 million subscribers, reflecting radically different growth potential

Such disparities demand tailored strategies, yet the ‘Global South’ label encourages one-size-fits-all thinking.

Outdated centre versus periphery thinking

For a growing segment of the industry, particularly younger audiences and creators, the term ‘Global South’ feels increasingly othering, an imprecise umbrella that masks vast social, cultural, and economic differences. Grouping together markets as distinct as South Korea, Morocco, and Brazil under a single label collapses nuance and reinforces outdated Eurocentric binaries between the ‘centre’ and the ‘periphery’. This framing made some sense in an era where Anglo-American hits dominated airwaves and charts worldwide. However, today, where movements like K-pop or Afrobeats are not just regional scenes but cross-continent phenomena, it feels especially redundant. 

What we are missing from the North-South divide

The term also falls flat when considering artists who defy geographic categorisation. Would we call artists Måneskin (Italy) or Kneecap (Northern Ireland) part of the 'Global South'? Of course not, yet they share more in common with non-anglophone stars like BTS or Bad Bunny than other English native artists from the same continent. What truly unites these acts is not which side of the equator they are on, but their ability to build international audiences while maintain authenticity and staying rooted in their own languages and cultures. It is that nuance we are missing when using geographic labels.

Unlocking the growth potential of these markets

The most significant industry growth potential now lies in the colossal markets housed in the ‘Global South’. However, realising this potential demands moving beyond simplistic geographical categorisations to understand what truly unifies these markets.

The future belongs to those who seek the deeper patterns: the authentic undercurrents that transcend borders yet respect local roots. Those who take the time to find out what truly unites these markets will be the ones who hold the key to sharing in their growing success.

A better way forward

The music industry needs frameworks that reflect how culture actually moves in the digital age – through language communities, movement alignment, and shared cultural affinities rather than latitude-based groupings.

While the 'Global South' terminology may persist in geopolitical discussions, its usefulness for the music business has expired. These markets are not just the future; they are actively challenging the status quo of global entertainment. Understanding them requires ditching geographic shorthand in favour of nuanced analysis that respects their distinct trajectories and interconnected potential.

In my up-coming report, I explore another avenue for understanding these artists and offer another framework for how the industry can understand them. The next era of growth will not be found on an atlas contour but in understanding more meaningful interconnectivity.