Within IFPI Data
Why Growth Does Not Mean Artists Earn More
IFPI's global totals show what recordings earn, not how that money is split between labels, artists and songwriters.
On this page
- What recorded revenue includes
- Where artist and songwriter income diverge
- Why contract terms change the outcome
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Introduction
IFPI’s global revenue figures are often cited as evidence that the recorded music business has recovered from the crisis years of piracy and declining CD sales. That is true in a narrow sense: IFPI measures the money generated by recorded music rights, and those totals have risen for more than a decade, reaching US$31.7 billion in 2025. [IFPI]ifpi.orgIFPIGLOBAL MUSIC REPORT 2026: GLOBAL RECORDED…Mar 18, 2026 — Performance rights revenues reached US$2.9 billion in 2025 and grew by 0…
However, recorded music revenue is not the same thing as artist income. The revenue counted in IFPI’s reports is collected before money is divided among record labels, distributors, publishers, songwriters, performers, managers, investors and other rights holders. As a result, a growing recorded music market can coexist with widely different financial outcomes for creators. Some artists benefit substantially from industry growth, while others see only a small share of the money generated by their recordings. [WIPO]wipo.intifpi looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music industry 73661WIPOIFPI looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music…Apr 23, 2025 — In 2023, record labels paid 34.8 per cent of their re… [The Times]thetimes.co.ukDespite having millions of listeners, their streaming revenues are significantly lower than other income sources such as OnlyFans. Stream…
What Recorded Revenue Includes
When IFPI reports growth, it is measuring the value of the recorded music market rather than the earnings of individual musicians. The total includes revenue from subscription streaming, advertising-supported streaming, physical sales, downloads, synchronisation licences and performance rights connected to sound recordings. [IFPI]ifpi.orgindustry dataIn 2024, global recorded music revenues grew by 4.8%. This was the tenth consecutive year of global growth. Revenues increased in every r… [IFPI]ifpi.orgGMR2025 SOTIGLOBAL MUSIC REPORT 2025Mar 19, 2025 — Performance rights revenues represented 9.7% of the global total. of recorded music revenues in th…
Crucially, these figures are collected at the industry level. A streaming platform, retailer, broadcaster or business pays for access to recorded music. That payment enters the recorded music system and is then distributed according to ownership structures and contracts. The headline number therefore describes how much recordings earned as assets, not how much any particular artist took home. [IFPI]ifpi.orgPerformance RightsMusic licensing companies, authorised by record labels, collect revenue from these companies and distribute it to the r… [IFPI]ifpi.orgIFPIIFPI: AMIDST HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MARKET, GLOBAL…19 Mar 2025 — Figures released today in IFPI's Global Music Report 2025 reveal that…
This distinction explains why two statements can both be true:
- Global recorded music revenue is growing. [ifpi.org]ifpi.orgIFPIGLOBAL MUSIC REPORT 2026: GLOBAL RECORDED…Mar 18, 2026 — Performance rights revenues reached US$2.9 billion in 2025 and grew by 0…
- Many artists still report financial pressure.
The first refers to market size. The second refers to how revenue is divided after collection. Those are related questions, but they are not the same question. IFPI [The Guardian]theguardian.comnew law how musicians make money streamingThis inadequate compensation forces many musicians to seek secondary employment, rendering a career solely in music impractical. The domi…
Where Artist and Songwriter Income Diverge
One source of confusion is that a single song generates multiple kinds of rights and payments.
A recording creates rights in the master recording, which are often owned by a record label or, in some cases, by an independent artist. Separately, the composition creates publishing rights that belong to songwriters and publishers. When streaming services pay royalties, the money is generally split between recording rights and publishing rights before being distributed further. [The Times]thetimes.co.ukDespite having millions of listeners, their streaming revenues are significantly lower than other income sources such as OnlyFans. Stream…
This means that success in the recorded music market does not automatically translate into equal gains for performers and songwriters.
For example:
- A featured performer may earn through recording royalties but have little or no songwriting income.
- A songwriter may earn publishing income even if they never performed on the recording.
- A label that owns the master recording may receive a substantial share of recording revenue before artists are paid.
- Publishers and collecting societies distribute composition income through separate systems. Soundcharts [Musicians' Union]musiciansunion.org.ukmusic streaming what does a fair deal for musicians look likeMusic Streaming: What Does a Fair Deal for…11 Feb 2025 — Songwriters and composers receive a 70-80% royalty from the music publisher u…
The result is that the same stream can generate different payments for different participants. Looking only at IFPI’s recorded revenue totals does not reveal how much reached performers, how much reached songwriters, or how the balance changed over time. [The Times]thetimes.co.ukDespite having millions of listeners, their streaming revenues are significantly lower than other income sources such as OnlyFans. Stream…
Why Contract Terms Change the Outcome
The most important reason recorded revenue is not artist income is that contracts determine how money is shared.
In a traditional label deal, the label finances recording, marketing, promotion and distribution. In exchange, it owns or controls the master recording and receives revenue first. The artist is then paid according to a royalty agreement. Many agreements also require the artist to repay advances and other recoupable expenses before receiving ongoing royalty payments. [Royalty Exchange]royaltyexchange.comunderstanding music royalty rate structuresRoyalty ExchangeUnderstanding Music Royalty Rate Structures31 Oct 2024 — Royalties are paid only once, amounting to $50,000 or more. Foll… [Curve]curveroyaltysystems.comCurve Royalty SystemsLesson 4: What A Record Label Deal Looks LikeThe label will share an agreed percentage of the recorded music earning…
This creates very different outcomes for artists who appear equally successful from the outside.
Consider three simplified scenarios:
- An independent artist who owns their masters may keep a large share of streaming and sales income after distributor fees.
- An artist signed to a favourable modern licensing deal may share revenue more evenly with a label.
- An artist on an older traditional contract may receive a much smaller royalty rate and may not receive substantial payments until recoupment obligations are satisfied. [Curve Royalty Systems]curveroyaltysystems.comCurve Royalty SystemsLesson 4: What A Record Label Deal Looks LikeThe label will share an agreed percentage of the recorded music earning… Soundcharts Because contract structures vary so widely [soundcharts.com]soundcharts.comHow Does Music Publishing Work?Royalties, Copyrights &…20 Nov 2019 — Writer's Share vs. Publisher's Share. Whenever the song is created, there are two equal shares o…, a 10% increase in recorded music revenue does not imply a 10% increase in artist earnings. Some artists capture much of the growth, while others see only limited gains from the same market expansion. [Curve Royalty Systems]curveroyaltysystems.comCurve Royalty SystemsLesson 4: What A Record Label Deal Looks LikeThe label will share an agreed percentage of the recorded music earning… [WIPO]wipo.intifpi looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music industry 73661WIPOIFPI looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music…Apr 23, 2025 — In 2023, record labels paid 34.8 per cent of their re…
The Debate Behind the Growth Numbers
The gap between industry revenue and creator income has become a central debate in the streaming era.
Streaming services generally pay royalties to rights holders rather than directly to artists. Platforms therefore know how much money they distribute to labels, distributors and publishers, but they do not control how those recipients divide revenue with creators. Spotify, for example, has emphasised that its royalty payments go to rights holders and that artist earnings depend heavily on contractual arrangements. [The Verge]theverge.comspotify 11 billion in royaltiesHowever, this sum went to rightsholders—such as labels, distributors, and publishers—rather than directly to artists, and Spotify does no…
Critics argue that headline growth figures can create the impression that all creators are prospering when income distribution remains highly uneven. Campaign groups, unions and some researchers have pointed to low earnings among many working musicians despite sustained growth in streaming and recorded music revenues. [Vanity Fair]vanityfair.comThey have focused on the streaming music economy, dominating 83% of recorded music income in the U.S. Streaming platforms hardly pay reco… [United Musicians and Allied Workers]weareumaw.orgSummary of UN Report on StreamingThe document concludes that current streaming economics are destroying music worldwide, and points to th… [Musicians' Union]musiciansunion.org.ukmusic streaming what does a fair deal for musicians look likeMusic Streaming: What Does a Fair Deal for…11 Feb 2025 — Songwriters and composers receive a 70-80% royalty from the music publisher u…
Industry organisations respond that artist payments have risen significantly alongside market growth and that labels continue to invest heavily in developing artists and recordings. IFPI has highlighted increases in payments made by labels to artists and noted that songwriter and publisher revenues have also grown in the streaming era. [WIPO]wipo.intifpi looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music industry 73661WIPOIFPI looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music…Apr 23, 2025 — In 2023, record labels paid 34.8 per cent of their re…
The key point is that both arguments address different parts of the same system. IFPI’s figures show that recorded music generates more money than it did a decade ago. They do not, by themselves, show who ultimately receives that money.
What the Growth Figures Can and Cannot Tell Us
IFPI’s revenue totals are useful indicators of the health of the recorded music market. They reveal whether consumers, businesses and platforms are spending more money on recorded music and whether the market is expanding or contracting. [IFPI]ifpi.orgissues annual global music report4 May 2020 — Streaming revenue grew by 22.9% to US$11.4 billion and for the first time accounted for more than half (56.1%) of global rec… [IFPI]ifpi.org70. over 70 markets where our member companies operate. © IFPI. AllIFPI — Representing the recording industry worldwideAlmost 70 IFPI National Groups, local associations or affiliated music licensing comp…
What they cannot reveal on their own is the financial position of artists, session musicians or songwriters. To answer that question requires additional information about ownership, royalty structures, recoupment, publishing rights and individual contracts. Two artists generating the same number of streams can end up with very different incomes depending on those factors. [The Verge]theverge.comspotify 11 billion in royaltiesHowever, this sum went to rightsholders—such as labels, distributors, and publishers—rather than directly to artists, and Spotify does no… [Curve]curveroyaltysystems.comCurve Royalty SystemsLesson 4: What A Record Label Deal Looks LikeThe label will share an agreed percentage of the recorded music earning…
For that reason, recorded music growth should be understood as a measure of industry revenue generation rather than a direct measure of creator prosperity. Growth may create more money within the system, but the path from recorded revenue to artist income is shaped by rights ownership and contractual distribution long before the money reaches a musician’s bank account. Orphiq [WIPO]wipo.intifpi looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music industry 73661WIPOIFPI looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music…Apr 23, 2025 — In 2023, record labels paid 34.8 per cent of their re…
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Further Reading
Books and field guides related to Why Growth Does Not Mean Artists Earn More. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
All You Need to Know About the Music Business
Explains how industry revenue is divided among artists, labels, publishers, and other parties.
Rockonomics
Explores why industry growth does not always translate into equal creator earnings.
Music Money and Success 8th Edition
First published 2018. Subjects: Music trade, Music, economic aspects.
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Endnotes
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Source: ifpi.org
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/global-music-report-2026-global-recorded-music-revenues-grow-6-4-as-record-companies-drive-innovation/Source snippet
IFPIGLOBAL MUSIC REPORT 2026: GLOBAL RECORDED...Mar 18, 2026 — Performance rights revenues reached US$2.9 billion in 2025 and grew by 0...
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Source: wipo.int
Title: ifpi looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music industry 73661
Link: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/wipo-magazine/articles/ifpi-looks-at-a-decade-of-digital-transformation-in-the-music-industry-73661Source snippet
WIPOIFPI looks at a decade of digital transformation in the music...Apr 23, 2025 — In 2023, record labels paid 34.8 per cent of their re...
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Source: ifpi.org
Title: industry data
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/our-industry/industry-data/Source snippet
In 2024, global recorded music revenues grew by 4.8%. This was the tenth consecutive year of global growth. Revenues increased in every r...
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Source: ifpi.org
Title: GMR2025 SOTI
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/GMR2025_SOTI.pdfSource snippet
GLOBAL MUSIC REPORT 2025Mar 19, 2025 — Performance rights revenues represented 9.7% of the global total. of recorded music revenues in th...
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Source: ifpi.org
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/our-industry/public-performance/Source snippet
Performance RightsMusic licensing companies, authorised by record labels, collect revenue from these companies and distribute it to the r...
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Source: ifpi.org
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/ifpi-amidst-highly-competitive-market-global-recorded-music-revenues-grew-4-8-in-2024/Source snippet
IFPIIFPI: AMIDST HIGHLY COMPETITIVE MARKET, GLOBAL...19 Mar 2025 — Figures released today in IFPI's Global Music Report 2025 reveal that...
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Source: soundcharts.com
Title: How Does Music Publishing Work?
Link: https://soundcharts.com/en/blog/how-the-music-publishing-worksSource snippet
Royalties, Copyrights &...20 Nov 2019 — Writer's Share vs. Publisher's Share. Whenever the song is created, there are two equal shares o...
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Source: soundcharts.com
Title: How Do Record Labels Make Money?
Link: https://soundcharts.com/en/blog/splits-and-profits-record-deals-analysisSource snippet
Inside the Release...31 Dec 2019 — Until the label gets back the recoupable, 100% of the recording royalties will go towards making up f...
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Source: orphiq.com
Title: how record labels make money
Link: https://orphiq.com/resources/how-record-labels-make-moneySource snippet
OrphiqHow Record Labels Make Money15 Mar 2026 — Every stream, sync placement, and physical sale generates revenue that flows to the label...
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Source: ifpi.org
Title: issues annual global music report
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/ifpi-issues-annual-global-music-report/Source snippet
4 May 2020 — [Streaming revenue]({{ 'revenue-dbec50/' | relative_url }}) grew by 22.9% to US$11.4 billion and for the first time accounted for more than half (56.1%) of global rec...
Published: May 2020
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Source: ifpi.org
Title: 70. over 70 markets where our member companies operate. © IFPI. All
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/Source snippet
IFPI — Representing the recording industry worldwideAlmost 70 IFPI National Groups, local associations or affiliated music licensing comp...
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Source: ifpi.org
Title: Global Music Report 2023 State of the Industry
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Global_Music_Report_2023_State_of_the_Industry.pdfSource snippet
IFPI – Global Music Report 2023 – State Of The IndustryThe world's second largest region for recorded music revenues saw growth of 7.5% i...
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Source: ifpi.org
Title: GMR2021 STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
Link: https://www.ifpi.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GMR2021_STATE_OF_THE_INDUSTRY.pdfSource snippet
Global Music Report 2021Revenues from performance rights – use of recorded music by broadcasters and public venues – declined by 10.1% in...
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Source: orphiq.com
Title: record deals explained
Link: https://orphiq.com/resources/record-deals-explainedSource snippet
Record Deals and Music Contracts Explained1 Feb 2026 — A large share of revenue: artist royalty rates in traditional deals are typically...
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Source: artists.spotify.com
Title: cisac songwriters guide
Link: https://artists.spotify.com/blog/cisac-songwriters-guideSource snippet
spotify.comCISAC: Songwriters' Guide12 Nov 2025 — CISAC's Anna Neale shares how songwriters can protect their rights, register songs prop...
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Source: thetimes.co.uk
Link: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/how-do-artists-make-their-money-from-music-tgvvprx8pSource snippet
Despite having millions of listeners, their [streaming revenues]({{ 'revenue-dbec50/' | relative_url }}) are significantly lower than other income sources such as OnlyFans. Stream...
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Source: theverge.com
Title: spotify 11 billion in royalties
Link: https://www.theverge.com/news/869523/spotify-11-billion-in-royaltiesSource snippet
However, this sum went to rightsholders—such as labels, distributors, and publishers—rather than directly to artists, and Spotify does no...
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Source: theguardian.com
Title: new law how musicians make money streaming
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/28/new-law-how-musicians-make-money-streamingSource snippet
This inadequate compensation forces many musicians to seek secondary employment, rendering a career solely in music impractical. The domi...
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Source: musiciansunion.org.uk
Title: music streaming what does a fair deal for musicians look like
Link: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/news/music-streaming-what-does-a-fair-deal-for-musicians-look-likeSource snippet
Music Streaming: What Does a Fair Deal for...11 Feb 2025 — Songwriters and composers receive a 70-80% royalty from the music publisher u...
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Source: curveroyaltysystems.com
Link: https://www.curveroyaltysystems.com/royalties-101-recorded-music/lesson-4-what-a-record-label-deal-looks-likeSource snippet
Curve Royalty SystemsLesson 4: What A Record Label Deal Looks LikeThe label will share an agreed percentage of the recorded music earning...
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Source: royaltyexchange.com
Title: understanding music royalty rate structures
Link: https://royaltyexchange.com/blog/understanding-music-royalty-rate-structuresSource snippet
Royalty ExchangeUnderstanding Music Royalty Rate Structures31 Oct 2024 — Royalties are paid only once, amounting to $50,000 or more. Foll...
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Source: weareumaw.org
Title: United Musicians and Allied Workers
Link: https://weareumaw.org/un-reportSource snippet
Summary of UN Report on StreamingThe document concludes that current streaming economics are destroying music worldwide, and points to th...
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Source: vanityfair.com
Link: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2022/08/its-time-for-big-name-artists-to-join-musics-new-labor-movementSource snippet
They have focused on the streaming music economy, dominating 83% of recorded music income in the U.S. Streaming platforms hardly pay reco...
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Source: musiciansunion.org.uk
Link: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/working-performing/recording-and-broadcasting/musician-royalties/music-streaming-royaltiesSource snippet
e secondary and further use of recordings.Read more...
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Source: sonymusic.com
Title: ifpi global music report 2026
Link: https://www.sonymusic.com/inside-sony-music/ifpi-global-music-report-2026/Source snippet
How the Global Music Industry Is Evolving: Inside IFPI's...19 Mar 2026 — IFPI's Global Music Report 2026 highlights another year of grow...
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Source: curveroyaltysystems.com
Link: https://www.curveroyaltysystems.com/royalties-101-publishing/lesson-2-flow-or-revenues-in-musicSource snippet
Lesson 2: Flow of Revenues in Music PublishingIn this chapter we will explore the circumstances in which copyrights are generally exploit...
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Source: curveroyaltysystems.com
Link: https://www.curveroyaltysystems.com/royalties-101-recorded-music/lesson-2-flow-of-revenuesSource snippet
Lesson 2: Flow of Revenues in Recorded MusicStreaming royalties are divided approximately 80/20 between the recording side and the publis...
Additional References
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Source: copyright.gov
Link: https://www.copyright.gov/music-modernization/educational-materials/musicians-income.pdfSource snippet
How Songwriters, Composers, and Performers Get PaidSome copyright owners, often independent or DIY sound recording creators, use music ag...
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Source: linkedin.com
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ricardocastanheira_global-recorded-music-revenues-hit-317b-activity-7440081735352016896-M0EASource snippet
Ricardo Castanheira's PostIFPI launched today its "Global Music Report 2026". Important findings: - Global recorded music revenues rose b...
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Source: musicbusinessworldwide.com
Link: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/global-recorded-music-revenues-hit-31-7bn-in-2025-up-6-4-yoy-users-of-paid-music-subscriptions-reach-837m/Source snippet
Global recorded music revenues hit $31.7B in 2025, up 6.4...18 Mar 2026 — IFPI has published its new 'Global Music Report 2026' showing...
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Source: linkedin.com
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/statista_2024-was-another-good-year-for-the-music-activity-7309944586112565259-eh_qSource snippet
Statista's Post24 Mar 2025 — 2024 was another good year for the music industry. According to IFPI's latest Global Music Report, worldwide...
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Source: reuters.com
Title: streaming boosts global music revenues once again 2025 report shows 2026 03 18
Link: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/streaming-boosts-global-music-revenues-once-again-2025-report-shows-2026-03-18/Source snippet
Streaming accounted for 70% of global music income, with paid subscription streaming growing 8.8% to reach over 52% of total revenues and...
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Source: ipbusinessacademy.org
Title: economics of streaming the rise of the music artists rights and compensation
Link: https://ipbusinessacademy.org/economics-of-streaming-the-rise-of-the-music-artists-rights-and-compensationSource snippet
Economics of Streaming & the Rise of the Music Artists...24 Feb 2025 — The streaming services keep approximately 30% of the money collec...
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Source: linkedin.com
Title: michaelhuppe ifpi global music report 2025 activity 7310442867926171648 bDoU
Link: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michaelhuppe_ifpi-global-music-report-2025-activity-7310442867926171648-bDoUSource snippet
Global music revenue hits $29 billion in 2024report from the International Federation of Phonographic Industries, global recorded music r...
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Source: cisac.org
Title: ascap delivers record breaking financial results 1737 billion revenues 141
Link: https://www.cisac.org/Newsroom/society-news/ascap-delivers-record-breaking-financial-results-1737-billion-revenues-141Source snippet
ASCAP Delivers Record-Breaking Financial Results With...28 Feb 2024 — ASCAP delivered a record-breaking $1.737 billion in revenue in the...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKzNoCnXoJ0Source snippet
EVERYTHING You NEED to Know About Music PublishingMaster Recording vs Composition Copyright 02:24 Performance Royalties Explained (PRO Re...
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Source: musicbusinessworldwide.com
Title: 11 quick and important takeaways from ifpis global music report 2025
Link: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/11-quick-and-important-takeaways-from-ifpis-global-music-report-2025/Source snippet
11 quick (and important) takeaways from IFPI's Global...Mar 19, 2025 — Global recorded music streaming revenues exceeded USD $20 billion...
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