The Numbers Behind the Copyright Math

So, claims are regularly made suggesting that the music industry is failing, usually followed by claims that tougher laws are needed to protect the hard working people in the music industry.

Small problem - it's not true.

The music industry is not in as bad a situation as claims would suggest. Here are some interesting statistics:

Music publishing revenues are on an upward trend.
Worldwide Music Publishing Revenues (2006 - 2011)
http://grabstats.com/statmain.asp?StatID=69 [grabstats.com]
$8.0 billion (2006)
$8.3 billion (2007)
$8.6 billion (2008)
$8.9 billion (2009)
$9.1 billion (2010)
$9.4 billion (2011)

Live music (concert) revenues are on a upward trend.
Worldwide Live Music / Concert Revenues (2006 - 2011)
http://grabstats.com/statmain.asp?StatID=70 [grabstats.com]
$16.6 billion (2006)
$18.1 billion (2007)
$19.4 billion (2008)
$20.8 billion (2009)
$22.2 billion (2010)
$23.5 billion (2011)

The entire industry's revenues (*) are on an upward trend.
Worldwide Music Industry Revenues (2006 - 2011)
http://grabstats.com/statmain.asp?StatID=67 [grabstats.com]
2006 ($60.7 billion)
2007 ($61.5 billion)
2008 ($62.6 billion)
2009 ($65.0 billion)
2010 ($66.4 billion)
2011 ($67.6 billion)

* The "entire industry" is defined as "Revenues are for record labels, music publishers, recording artists, performing artists, composers, concert venues and merchandise, companies; includes revenues from sales of physical recordings, digital music services (online and mobile), music publishing and live music."

What is most interesting about these numbers is it supports what I have felt for a long time - the major players in the music industry have realized that CD sales are nice but that's not how to get rich - the big money (almost 2.5 times the money...) is in concerts. That is why acts like 'N Sync and Britney and Beiber and U2 and Lady Gaga and damn near everyone are regularly on tour. They've realized that people are spending more and more on actually going to the concert to experience the music. They realized that the be financially successful means touring a lot. CD sales makes one wealthy but a concert tout makes one rich.

These numbers show that the music industry isn't failing. It isn't even shrinking. The _industry_ is growing, across the board. Yes, there are individual companies that might be suffering and there are individual bands that are suffering and there are probably specific geographic regions that are suffering but the industry, as a whole, is thriving - it is growing.

One thing I do agree with the music industry, however, is that the internet is a big reason for this - we just disagree on the direction their profits are headed...

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/YtrVfooiFiA/the-numbers-behind-the-copyright-math

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