In 2021, HETFA Creative Industries Lab prepared an interim Music Industry Report commissioned by ProArt-Hungarian Copyright Alliance. Usually, every second year a more comprehensive music industry report is prepared. Thus, the aim of this Interim Report is to provide an overview of the music industry in 2020, its current situation, key figures, developments and trends.
After a record growth of 14% in 2019, the Hungarian sound recording industry fell by 5% in 2020. Decline was observed in the physical segment, while the digital market continued to develop as in previous years.
The report outlines the demographic characteristics of musicians. The percentage of male composers is 83% and the percentage of male performers is 79%. The largest proportion of composers and performers are aged between 41 and 50 (29% and 28% respectively). The proportion of those aged 31-40 is also above 20%. A significant proportion of musicians registered in 2020 will be under the age of 40 (78% for composers and 60% for performers). The largest proportion of newly registered musicians in 2020 will still be aged 21-30. The proportion of new registrants is 42% among composers and 28% among performers.
A separate chapter addressed the topic of sound recordings, covering publication, registration, physical and digital sales and streaming. The digital segment has grown in 2020, mainly due the increase in streaming, with a 41% increase in streaming revenues compared to 2019. The subscription model continues to show significant growth, with a 46% increase in 2020, as in the previous year, while video streaming increased by 40%. The chapter also presents data on radio, television broadcasting, individual licensing of background music and DJs in 2020.
The chapter on live music events highlighted that in 2020, the number of performances fell by 70% due to the pandemic. 152 festivals were held in 2020, with a total of 2,261 performers. This represents a drop of 85% in the number of events and 81% in the number of concerts compared to 2019.
Unlike in previous years, the 2021 Interim Music Industry Report included a questionnaire survey of musicians. The results of the questionnaire showed that for the majority of musicians, income from music activities reduced by less than half in 2020 compared to an average year. Most of musicians compensated for the loss of income from non-musical activities that existed before the pandemic. More than half of professional musicians were unable to substitute their lost income during the pandemic, living off reserves or other household income. Almost a third of Hungarian musicians seriously considered that they might only play music as a hobby in the future, while 7% claimed that they consider leaving the music profession.
The report is available here in Hungarian only.
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