CISAC Report: Creators’ royalties reach a record $14.2 billion worldwide

Story by SOCAN | Thursday November 7th, 2019

The International Confederation of Societies of Authors (CISAC) has announced that creators’ royalties have hit a new record high of $14.2 billion (all figures Canadian dollars) worldwide in 2018. Music creators – songwriters, lyricists, composers and music publishers – saw their global royalty collections grow by 1.8 per cent to $12.4 billion, helped by a 29.6 percent increase in digital revenues.

According to the organization’s annual Global Collections Report, revenues from digital sources – largely driven by streaming subscription services – have nearly tripled since 2014, and now account for 17 percent of all collections, as compared to 7.5 percent in 2014.

The increase in major markets’ digital collections – notably the U.S., France, and Japan – are the biggest drivers of global growth. This growth is helped by new and extended licensing deals between societies and digital platforms, from dedicated content services like Spotify, to social media platforms such as Facebook, to video-on-demand platforms like Netflix and Amazon.

Over the five years since 2014, global collections by CISAC societies are up 25.4%. Digital growth, combined with resilience in the two other major uses (TV/radio and live/background), are continuing to offset declining income from physical media.

CISAC Director General Gadi Oron said, “This report provides many reasons for optimism about our sector. Digital revenues show an impressive increase, have nearly tripled in the last five years, and have enormous potential for further growth. More markets are seeing digital income taking the top position of all revenue streams, which is an extremely positive sign. In a landscape of fragmenting income sources, the role of authors’ societies in generating monetary value for millions of creators has never been more vital.”

For more highlights from CISAC’s 2019 Global Collections Report (for 2018 data), visit www.CISAC.org.

Dataclef, Indian Performing Right Society sign landmark contract

Story by SOCAN | Thursday November 7th, 2019

Dataclef – part of the SOCAN Group of companies – and the Indian Performing Right Society Limited (IPRS) are significantly expanding their services agreement, from claiming and reports processing to comprehensive back-office and rights management services, including tariff administration, member self-service tools, and brand support.

As one of the world’s fastest-growing music economies, India is attracting attention and product launches from national and global music brands. The rapid expansion of music and technology use in India means that rights holders require modern, scalable music identification and royalty administration solutions. IPRS has determined that Dataclef Suite, a fully-configurable agreements-based platform, is perfect for the forward-thinking music rights organization.

“The commencement of this deal will re-structure IPRS into a world-class, technology-driven copyright society focused on transparency and efficiency,” said IPRS Chairman Javed Akhtar. “The Dataclef team’s deep industry and technology expertise makes Dataclef Suite the obvious choice for building the future of Indian copyright management.”

IPRS is India’s only registered copyright society for music composers, lyricists, and music publishers, committed to instituting technology-driven processes that improve member engagement, licensing, and transparency in the distribution of royalties.

On average, Indian music users consume 21.58 hours of music per week, surpassing the global average of 17.89 hours. With this usage, and unique Indian musical intellectual property, expected to grow in coming years, IPRS is uniquely positioned to support India’s music economy growth and lead the way in auditable, data-focused rights management.

Dataclef Suite, with its flexible APIs (Application Program Interfaces), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) backbone, and massive rights database, will ensure this growth is achieved with maximum payouts and minimum overhead. Dataclef’s exclusive matching technologies and ground-breaking agreements structure are purpose-built for the complex, high-scale challenges that  IPRS is solving.

“IPRS is fundamentally changing how music usage is processed and paid in the Indian music market,” said SOCAN Group CEO Eric Baptiste. “We are thrilled to be bringing the power of Dataclef Suite to IPRS, the Indian music economy, and the music creators and rights holders who make it an exciting and vibrant market.”

IPRS and Dataclef will immediately begin collaborative efforts to deploy and operate the new IPRS back office. The services being planned and assessed include functions, processes, and technologies required to launch a world-class copyright society using Dataclef Suite.

“With Dataclef Suite, we can manage the scale and complexity of licensing and payment agreements in the Indian music marketplace like no other partner,” said Dataclef COO Janice

Scott. “Combined with IPRS’s focus on improving efficiency and transparency through technology, this is the beginning of significant positive financial and operational outcomes for Indian songwriters, musicians, and rightsholders.”

Vilma Avila fills vacant seat on SOCAN Board of Directors

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday November 4th, 2019

A vacant seat on the SOCAN Board of Directors was recently filled by independent Québécoise singer-songwriter and producer Vilma Avila, according to the 2018 board election results, as required by SOCAN’s bylaws. The seat was vacated by the amicable departure of Martine Groulx from the board.

In 2014, Vilma set up her own independent, all-female production company PrimaStar Productions. She’s inspired by traditional Latin music and North American pop, and her video for “A Bailar,” has been viewed more than a million times on YouTube. After taking stages in Québec by storm, she conquered crowds on tour for several months in Panama and Costa Rica, including more than 100 interviews and television appearances.

Her mission is to touch as many hearts as possible through music, and to encourage other women in the show-business industry. A songwriter since early childhood, she’s accumulated more than 300 lyrical pieces. Armed with exuberant creativity, Vilma – who originally studied law – switched lanes to launch her professional career as a singer more than six years ago, after training in singing, composition, and the entertainment industry at the music school Prochant in Montréal.

After a short absence devoted fully to her new role as a mother, she’s now returned to the spotlight, more sensitive and poised  than ever. Her Tierras Lejanas Tour of 2019-2020 will take her to Canada, Panama, Mexico, and the U.S., and in 2020, Avila will launch her debut album. Vilma has also established the Alegria Foundation, an organization helping underprivileged children in Panama, where she was born.