Reports: Music Industry

The definitive resource for music industry trends and metrics, including Global South, AI, future business models, forecasts, total addressable markets, market shares and much more

Cover image for Rebalancing the Song Economy

Rebalancing the Song Economy

Mark Mulligan and Keith Jopling

16 Apr 2021

Free Report

Music

Introduction – Rebalancing the song economy After half a decade of streaming-driven growth the global music business hit a speed bump in the shape of the COVID-19 pandemic. Live music stopped in an instant, radio boomed then dipped and physical sales plummeted as stores closed.

Cover image for Recorded music market 2020

Recorded music market 2020
Pandemic-era growth

Mark Mulligan

11 Mar 2021

Streaming Streaming Music Recorded music

The global pandemic turned the music industry upside down. While live was decimated throughout 2020, after an initial downturn, the recorded music market returned to growth and finished the year with an acceleration that suggests a strong 2021 lies ahead.

Cover image for Spotify Q4 2020 earnings

Spotify Q4 2020 earnings
ARPU pays the price for growth

Mark Mulligan

28 Feb 2021

Subscriptions Streaming Streaming Music

In 2020 Spotify accelerated the growth of its total user base, with emerging markets playing a key role. However, revenue increases became decoupled from user growth across all categories, resulting in ARPU deflation. Companies and brands mentioned in...

Cover image for Music marketing

Music marketing
Catalogue and song management

Keith Jopling

26 Feb 2021

Artists Independent artists music marketing

The catalogue race is on Music catalogues are changing hands for serious sums of money. The race to acquire the songwriters’ share is on, and it is speeding up. However, while that race is a sprint, what happens after is a marathon. For the acquirers – Hipgnosis and its cohort of competitors, publishing majors like UMPG or indies like BMG – t...

Cover image for Music Product Strategy Re-boot

Music Product Strategy Re-boot
Time to Monetise Fandom, Not Access

Mark Mulligan

25 Jan 2021

Innovation Spotify Spotify

As streaming reaches maturity in many of the largest music markets and middle-tier artists struggle to make ends meet with the live music hiatus, the time has come for a music product strategy re-boot – for a bold, new wave of music products that look to build beyond streaming, delivering increased income for both rights holders and creators.

Cover image for Virtual Concerts

Virtual Concerts
A New Video Format

Mark Mulligan

22 Dec 2020

YouTube Amazon Facebook

The global pandemic thrust the live music sector into chaos, with global revenues falling by 75% in 2020 compared to one year previously. The music industry was rocked by first-order impacts (no concerts, no fan engagement) and second-order impacts (many artists realising that streaming did not add up without live income alongside it).

Cover image for Spotify Q3 2020 Earnings

Spotify Q3 2020 Earnings
The Shift to Free

Mark Mulligan

27 Nov 2020

Subscriptions Streaming Streaming Music

With three quarters of 2020 gone, Spotify has prospered during the most challenging of times, with consistent growth across most metrics. Q3 2020 saw a slight deviation from the script though, with ad-supported in the driving seat, especially in emerging markets.

Cover image for State of the YouTube Music Economy 3.0

State of the YouTube Music Economy 3.0
End of the Beginning

Mark Mulligan

30 Oct 2020

Spotify YouTube YouTube

This is the third bi-annual report of its kind, providing the most comprehensive view available of the YouTube music economy. It presents data for revenues, royalty payments, streams, subscribers, user behaviour and user demographics. We explore success factors, cultural trends, monetisation frameworks and contextualise music’s performance agains...

Cover image for Music Subscriber Market Shares 4.0

Music Subscriber Market Shares 4.0
Subscriptions Decouple from Revenue

Mark Mulligan

18 Sep 2020

Subscriptions Streaming Music Subscriptions

This report presents key figures from MIDiA’s global music subscriber market shares model. The full dataset is published alongside this report with quarterly data from Q4 2015 to Q1 2020 and annual label trade revenue from full year 2015 to full year 2019 for 27 streaming services across 34 different markets.

Cover image for Spotify Q2 2020 Earnings

Spotify Q2 2020 Earnings
In the Shadow of COVID

Mark Mulligan

18 Aug 2020

Subscriptions Streaming Streaming Music

Spotify’s share price grew strongly in June 2020, with the markets responding positively to its podcast investments. However, while that increase was sustained throughout July, by mid-August the share price was heading back down to late-June levels.

Cover image for MIDiA Research 2020-2027 Global Music Forecasts

MIDiA Research 2020-2027 Global Music Forecasts
Volume Trumps Value as Emerging Markets Dominate Growth

Mark Mulligan

21 Jul 2020

Music revenue Spotify YouTube

This report presents the key figures, trends and drivers of MIDiA’s music forecast model. The figures presented in this report are retail values and in billions of US dollars unless otherwise stated. An Excel file posted alongside this report provides complete country-level data, including DSP market shares and a detailed methodology statement.

Cover image for Spotify Q1 2020 Earnings

Spotify Q1 2020 Earnings
First Signs of Pre-Recession Weakness

Mark Mulligan

29 May 2020

Spotify Alphabet Business Strategy

2020 was a solid quarter for Spotify but showed early signs of COVID-19 impact across premium and especially ad supported. With a global recession looming, these may be the first signs of vulnerability in a challenged economic climate. Companies and brands...

Cover image for Recorded Music Market 2019

Recorded Music Market 2019
A Thriving and Transforming Industry

Mark Mulligan

3 Mar 2020

music sales Streaming Streaming Music

With five successive years of growth, the recorded music market has transitioned from a recovering industry into a thriving business. The stars are aligning, with growing consumer demand, business model innovation, a golden era for independent artists and surging interest from institutional investors.

Cover image for Spotify Q4 2019 Earnings

Spotify Q4 2019 Earnings
Great Year for Premium, Less So for Ad Supported

Mark Mulligan

29 Feb 2020

Subscriptions Streaming Streaming Music

2019 was another strong year for Spotify’s premium business, in which it saw off growing competition to retain its leading global market share. But it was also another year in which Spotify’s ad-supported business did not grow fast enough. Companies...

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Insurgents and Incumbents
How the 2020s Will Remake the Music Business

Mark Mulligan

24 Jan 2020

Creators iTunes Spotify

As it enters the third decade of the millennium, the recorded music business is in rude health. Revenues are about to enter the second half of a decade of annual growth, streaming is booming, and investment is pouring in. Simultaneously, the fundamentals of the business are changing, from artist and songwriter careers through music company business...

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Demand Creation
What’s the Next Big Growth Curve for Music?

Keith Jopling

14 Jan 2020

Labels Spotify Marketing

Over the past 40 years the music industry has seen highs and lows, mirroring the careers of many of the legacy artists the industry plays host to. The most spectacular successes in the music business, from the Sony Walkman to MTV, to iTunes and Spotify – have all generated demand for music in entirely new ways.

Cover image for Music Subscriber Market Shares 3.0

Music Subscriber Market Shares 3.0
The Big Three Dominate

Mark Mulligan

17 Dec 2019

Subscriptions Streaming Music Subscriptions

This report presents key figures from MIDiA’s global music subscriber market shares model. The full dataset is published alongside this report with quarterly data from Q4 2015 to Q2 2019 for 23 streaming services across 30 different markets. Companies...

Cover image for Streaming Pricing

Streaming Pricing
Solid Outlook but Slowing Demand

Mark Mulligan

4 Dec 2019

Willingness to pay Apple Netflix

Across a wide selection of Western countries, the streaming music and video subscription markets are reaching a high degree of maturity. As saturation for core products nears, further growth will depend upon factors such as pricing innovation and multiple subscriptions per household.

Cover image for Spotify Earnings Q3 2019

Spotify Earnings Q3 2019
Up on Most Counts

Mark Mulligan

15 Nov 2019

Subscriptions Streaming Streaming Music

Q3 2019 was a quarter of mixed fortunes for Spotify, with its subscriber base showing good, consistent growth, podcasts making a solid early showing, emerging markets demonstrating promise but ad revenue falling short. Companies and brands mentioned in...

Cover image for Playlist Strategies 2020

Playlist Strategies 2020

Keith Jopling

12 Nov 2019

Spotify YouTube SoundCloud

Playlists have become a core music consumption habit and, in turn, one of the most valuable marketing commodities in music. A prominent playlist placement remains a key objective of most new release strategies and is a higher priority than radio play for many artists.

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