Independent Music Publishing Hits $2.8 Billion in 2023, Digital Revenues Lead the Charge
The independent music publishing sector continued its steady rise in 2023, reaching a value of $2.8 billion, according to a new report by the Independent Music Publishers Forum (IMPF). That marks a 5.7% increase over the previous year and reflects the sector’s growing role in the broader music industry.
A Snapshot of the Market
In 2023, the global music publishing market—combining both major and independent companies—was valued at around $10.6 billion. Independent publishers made up 26.3% of that total. While that share is slightly down from 26.7% in 2022, the overall value of the indie sector has more than doubled since 2018.
What’s Driving the Growth?
A big part of that success can be credited to strong collections from performance rights organizations, which brought in $12.7 billion worldwide last year—up 7.6% from 2022. Much of this growth came from the surge in digital revenues, showing how the industry continues to adapt to how people are consuming music today.
Shifting Market Share
Despite healthy revenue increases, the market share for independent publishers has been slipping. Back in 2020, indies held a 27.9% share. That dropped to 26.7% in 2022 and again to 26.3% in 2023. This trend is being driven in part by continued consolidation, as larger publishers acquire smaller companies and expand their dominance.
U.S. and Global Insights
Globally, Europe still leads in overall collections, bringing in $6.5 billion last year, an 8.3% increase. However, the U.S. and Canada aren’t far behind, with a combined total of $3.45 billion—up nearly 8%.
Latin America saw the fastest growth, jumping 26.2% year-over-year, though it still represents a smaller share of the global total. Meanwhile, the Asia-Pacific region had a modest decline of 0.3%, impacted mostly by currency shifts in markets like Japan and South Korea.
The Rise of Digital
Perhaps the most notable shift has been the rise of digital revenues, which now make up 43.6% of total collections globally. In the U.S. and Canada, digital has even overtaken traditional broadcast revenue. Countries like Mexico (69.8%), Sweden (64.7%), and Canada (53.2%) are leading the way in digital dominance.
What’s Next?
Looking ahead, the IMPF is optimistic. Growth is expected to continue, thanks to higher streaming subscription prices, the return of live concerts, and the resilience of TV and film sync licensing. With more audiovisual projects being produced worldwide, synchronization income remains a promising revenue stream for independent publishers.
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