State of the Music Publishing Nation

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The 20,000 Foot View:  This report, a first from MIDiA dedicated to the music publishing space, addresses the most important trends in the industry. With 2018 seeing revenues continue their accelerated growth and music publishing emerging as an asset class, now is opportune to reflect on one of the often misunderstood and hence undervalued aspects of the recorded music industry. From individual publishers’ market share to specific market growth and the shift in revenue sources for performance, mechanical and sync, this report is a must-read for anyone involved in music publishing or investing in the space.

Key Findings

• Music publishing revenue in 2018 increased to        billion, up        year-on-year (YoY)
• Sony/ATV had the highest shares at        followed by Universal Music Publishing        and Warner Chappell       
• Sony and the independent sector had the highest share of the net new 2018 revenue        and        respectively)
• In 2012, the independent sector inclusive of BMG and Kobalt accounted for around        of global publishing revenues. By 2018, this share was       
• The rise of streaming has continued to haemorrhage mechanical rights revenue, which fell by        in 2018 to        million
• Sony/ ATV grew its publishing revenue        in 2018 to        million, influenced by the completion of the EMI acquisition
• Kobalt and BMG, the two largest independent players in the market, both maintained around        of the global publishing market
• Mechanical royalties fell by        to        million in 2018 while performance royalties grew by        to reach        million
• Global music publisher revenues were        billion in 2018, up        from 2017, and will rise to        billion in 2026
• Performance income will hit        billion in 2026
• Streaming video, rights licensing and administration, micro licensing and streaming threats will shape the outlook for music publishing

Companies and brands mentioned in this report:  Armonia, BMAT, Dataclef, Epidemic Sound, GEMA, ICE, IPRS, Jukedeck, Medianet, Mint, OCL, PRSfM, Qwire, SACEM, SESAC, SGAE, SIAE, SOCAN, STIM, SUISA, BMG, Kobalt, Sony ATV, Spotify, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group