Paris, October 27th Worldwide royalty collections for creators of music, audiovisual, art, drama and
literary works fell by 9.9% in 2020, with losses amounting to more than €1 billion as a result of the
global pandemic.

Total collections fell to €9.32 billion as lockdown measures saw live and public performance revenue
nearly halve across the world, according to the latest annual Global Collections Report published by
CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers).

The decline was partly mitigated by a strong rise in digital royalties, reflecting the sharp increase in
audio and video streaming consumption worldwide and strong licensing activity by many of CISAC’s
member societies around the world.

Key trends reported include:
• Live and public performance fell 45% to €1.6 billion, with live concert revenue down by an
estimated 55%
• Digital collections rose 16.6% to €2.4 billion
• TV and radio broadcast, creators’ largest income source, fell 4.3% to €3.7 billion
• Music collections, comprising 88% of the total, declined 10.7% to €8.19 billion

The Report analyses the varied impact of COVID-19 by region and sector, the vital role of long-term
government support and direct measures for creators by societies, the continuing losses caused by
lockdowns in 2021, and the outlook for recovery in 2022.

Quotes from the Report

CISAC President Bjorn Ulvaeus: “Today, creators work in an inequitable eco-system. If we accept
that the song – or the creative work of any repertoire – is the foundation of our creative industries,
why do we then accept the near-invisibility of the creator in the commercial value chain? When I
took on the presidency of CISAC in May 2020, the subjugation of the creator was already a massive
issue. Then COVID struck, highlighting two things. First, that streaming is fast heading towards being
the most important source of creators’ earnings in the future. And second, that streaming revenues,
however fast they grow, are currently simply not providing a fair reward when shared across millions
of individual recipients”.

CISAC Director General Gadi Oron: “After many years of steady growth, COVID has sent collections
sliding downwards. Both mature and developing markets that are dependent on traditional income
streams such as concerts, festivals, and exhibitions, suffered significant declines in 2020 that
continue well into 2021. Increased digital collections have mitigated the fall in other income sources
in many countries, and this is a tribute to the efforts of CISAC societies to change strategy, shift
resources and step up digital licensing activity. Without a doubt, the pandemic has been a catalyst
for change, accelerating a transition to digital that will not be reversed”.

Download the full report here.