Global music publishing collections reached an unprecedented €14.6 billion ($15.89 billion) in 2025, marking an impressive 11.9% increase from the previous year’s total of €12.6 billion ($13.62 billion), according to the latest Global Collections Report released by CISAC, the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers. This significant surge underscores a robust and evolving landscape for music creators, though the growth is nuanced, reflecting both organic expansion and the pivotal first-time inclusion of revenue from the U.S. Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC). Digital revenue streams, now accounting for 45.6% of all publishing royalties, have firmly established themselves as the primary engine of this financial expansion, simultaneously highlighting the industry’s rapid adaptation to new consumption patterns and the looming complexities introduced by artificial intelligence.
Understanding the Growth Dynamics: MLC’s Inaugural Impact and Organic Momentum
The headline figure of 11.9% growth in global music publishing royalties for 2025 represents a critical milestone for creators worldwide. However, a deeper dive into the CISAC report reveals the distinct components contributing to this rise. A substantial portion, specifically 6.6 percentage points of the total increase, is attributed to the inaugural inclusion of revenue from the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC), the U.S. organization responsible for administering blanket mechanical licenses for digital audio uses. This integration of a major new collection source significantly bolstered the overall reported figures.
Beyond this initial accounting adjustment, the industry demonstrated resilient organic growth of 5.3 percentage points. This underlying expansion, derived from existing collection societies and traditional revenue streams, is particularly noteworthy as it outpaced the 4.8% increase reported for the recorded music sector by IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) for the same period in 2025. This comparative performance suggests that the publishing side of the music business, which focuses on the rights of songwriters and composers, is experiencing a particularly strong period of intrinsic growth, driven by increasing demand for creative works across various platforms globally. The MLC’s inclusion for the first time in CISAC’s global report is a testament to its operational maturity and its growing role in the U.S. digital music ecosystem, providing a clearer, more comprehensive picture of mechanical royalty collections from digital service providers.
Gadi Oron, Director General of CISAC, emphasized the broader implications of these figures, stating that the growth "demonstrates both the resilience of collective management and the enduring demand for creative works around the world." This sentiment points to the sustained value of intellectual property and the effectiveness of collective management organizations (CMOs) in navigating an increasingly complex global market to ensure creators are fairly compensated.
The Ascendancy of Digital Royalties: A Paradigm Shift
The most striking revelation from the 2025 report is the unequivocal dominance of digital royalties. For the first time, digital income streams have become the largest generator of publishing royalties, contributing a commanding 45.6% of the total. In absolute terms, digital royalties reached €6.41 billion ($7.25 billion) in 2025, marking a remarkable 28% increase over the €5.01 billion ($5.42 billion) collected in 2024. This dramatic acceleration underscores a fundamental shift in how music is consumed and monetized globally.
The digital surge is largely fueled by the continued expansion of streaming services, online platforms, and other digital consumption models. While the MLC’s impact is particularly pronounced within this category, its inclusion highlights the increasing sophistication and formalization of digital royalty collection. The widespread adoption of subscription-based streaming, social media platforms incorporating music, and various online content creation avenues have created a vast new ecosystem for music usage, demanding robust and efficient licensing frameworks. This digital transformation has not only opened new revenue channels but has also necessitated a continuous evolution of copyright administration and enforcement, pushing CMOs to adapt rapidly to technological advancements and changing consumer behaviors. The sheer volume and global reach of digital consumption necessitate a streamlined approach to rights management, making the role of organizations like the MLC and the broader CISAC network more crucial than ever.
Emerging Challenges: The Double-Edged Sword of Artificial Intelligence
While the royalty landscape is experiencing robust growth, the CISAC report also casts a spotlight on what many consider the industry’s "largest test": the pervasive and rapidly evolving impact of artificial intelligence. CISAC Director General Gadi Oron articulated this concern in the forward to the annual report, stating, "Our confederation now faces its largest test with artificial intelligence, new business models and changing patterns of consumption." The advent of AI presents a "double-edged sword," offering potential opportunities for creators while simultaneously posing significant threats to the existing economic model of creative industries.
The core concern revolves around whether the legal and operational systems designed to protect creators’ rights can evolve quickly enough to keep pace with AI’s accelerating development. Key issues include:
- Training Data: The unauthorized use of copyrighted works to train AI models without proper licensing or compensation to creators.
- AI-Generated Content: The potential for AI to generate music that could diminish the value of human-created works or complicate authorship attribution and royalty distribution.
- Infringement Detection: The difficulty in identifying and tracking AI-driven copyright infringement on a massive scale.
- Ethical Considerations: Broader questions about the role of human creativity in an AI-augmented future.
In response to these challenges, CISAC and its member societies have proactively positioned themselves at the forefront of the global debate on AI policy. Oron confirmed that the organization is "contributing to numerous consultations, policy debates and legislative processes around the world, so as to ensure that creators’ rights remain at the heart of AI policy making." This active engagement is vital for shaping future legislation that balances technological innovation with the fundamental rights of creators, aiming to establish clear guidelines for AI’s interaction with copyrighted material.
Björn Ulvaeus, CISAC president and co-founder of the iconic group ABBA, offered a hopeful yet firm perspective on the AI dilemma. "Human creativity is not something to be replaced or bypassed. It is something to be valued, protected and celebrated," Ulvaeus asserted. He expressed optimism that, with the right regulatory framework, "artificial intelligence will not diminish human creativity but will help inspire its next chapter." This perspective underscores the industry’s desire to harness AI as a tool for enhancement rather than displacement, emphasizing the need for legal and ethical guardrails to ensure that AI serves, rather than subjugates, human artistry.
Shifting Revenue Streams: Beyond Digital’s Dominance
While digital revenue leads the charge, other categories within music publishing also present a mixed picture of growth and decline, reflecting broader shifts in media consumption and economic factors.
Background Music and Concerts (Public Performance): This category emerged as the second-largest contributor to music publishing revenue, accounting for 25.8% of the total. Collections from background music played in commercial establishments, alongside live concert performances, amounted to €3.624 billion ($4.1 billion). This represented a healthy 7.2% increase from the prior year’s total of €3.38 billion ($3.66 billion). The growth in this sector highlights the resurgence of live events and the continued importance of public performance licensing, as businesses and venues rely on music to enhance customer experiences. Post-pandemic recovery for live music and a steady demand for background music in retail, hospitality, and public spaces contributed significantly to this positive trend.
Declining Traditional Categories: In contrast, several traditional revenue streams experienced declines in 2025, mirroring long-term trends in media consumption:
- Television and Radio: Despite contributing a substantial 23.6% of total publishing revenue (€3.315 billion / $3.75 billion), this category saw a 3.1% decrease from 2024’s €3.42 billion ($3.67 billion). This decline is indicative of the ongoing shift from linear broadcast media to on-demand digital content, where advertising revenues and viewership are increasingly migrating.
- CDs and Video (Physical Sales): Revenues from physical media continued their downward trajectory, bringing in €326 million ($358.6 million), an 8.9% drop from €358 million ($387.3 million) in 2024. The shrinking market for physical music and video formats is a well-established trend, with consumers largely preferring digital alternatives for convenience and accessibility.
- Private Copying Assessments: These levies, collected on blank recording media or devices, generated €252 million ($285 million), a 6.7% decrease from €270 million ($292.1 million) in the previous year. As cloud storage and streaming services become ubiquitous, the practice of private copying has diminished, leading to reduced collections from these historical levies.
- Sync (Synchronization Rights): Revenue from synchronization, where music is licensed for use in audiovisual productions like films, TV shows, advertisements, and video games, experienced a slight decline to €58 million ($65.6 million) from €62 million. While still a vital revenue stream for specific creators, the slight dip could reflect increased competition, evolving production budgets, or changes in licensing terms.
- All Other Licensing Sources: This broad category, encompassing miscellaneous licensing activities, saw the steepest percentage decline, falling 24.1% to €70 million ($79.15 million) from €92.25 million ($99.8 million) in 2024. This drop suggests a consolidation of revenue into clearer, more defined categories or a contraction in niche licensing opportunities.
A Geographic Lens: Regional and National Contributions
The CISAC report also provides a detailed breakdown of revenue generation across continents, offering insights into the global distribution of music publishing royalties. Western Europe remains the dominant region, accounting for 45.2% of total revenue with €6.353 billion ($7.2 billion). This reflects the region’s mature music markets, robust copyright frameworks, and high per capita music consumption.
North America secured the second position, contributing 31.6% of total revenue, amounting to €4.442 billion ($5.02 billion). The significant size of the U.S. market, coupled with the inclusion of MLC revenues, solidified its position as a powerhouse in royalty collections.
Asia-Pacific followed as the third-largest region, generating 13.3% of royalties with €1.87 billion ($2.12 billion). This region, characterized by rapidly growing digital markets and diverse cultural landscapes, continues to present substantial growth opportunities, albeit with varying levels of copyright enforcement and market maturity across its many nations.
Latin America contributed 5.6% of the total, collecting €785 million ($887.6 million). This region shows consistent growth, driven by increasing digital penetration and a vibrant local music scene. Central and Eastern Europe accounted for 3.8% (€529 million / $598 million), while Africa represented 0.5% (€77 million / $87.1 million), highlighting the need for continued development of infrastructure and legal frameworks to unlock the full potential of these emerging markets.
Delving into individual countries, the United States maintained its position as the largest single contributor to music publishing royalties, generating €4.073 billion ($4.61 billion). This is followed by France with €1.59 billion ($1.8 billion), the United Kingdom with €1.283 billion ($1.45 billion), Germany at €1.05 billion ($1.185 billion), and Japan with €907 million ($1.025 billion). These top five countries collectively underscore the importance of established economies with strong cultural industries and effective copyright protection systems in driving global royalty collections. Their robust domestic markets, combined with significant international export of creative works, solidify their leading roles in the global music publishing landscape.
Beyond Music: CISAC’s Broader Scope
It is important to note that CISAC’s mandate extends beyond music, encompassing royalties for a wide array of creative works, including literature, drama, visual arts, and audiovisual content. When these additional revenue streams are factored in, CISAC reported a total collection of €15.5 billion ($17.53 billion) across all creative disciplines in 2025. This represents an 11.3% increase over the prior year’s total of €13.92 billion ($15.06 billion), further illustrating the overall health and expansion of the global creative economy and the crucial role of collective management organizations in sustaining it.
CISAC represents a vast network of 225 collective management organizations operating in 110 countries and territories worldwide. This extensive reach allows for the efficient and equitable collection and distribution of royalties to millions of creators globally, ensuring that their intellectual property is valued and protected across borders and diverse legal systems.
The Road Ahead: Strengthening the Framework for Creativity
Looking towards the future, CISAC Director General Gadi Oron reiterated the organization’s enduring mission. "As CISAC approaches its second century, our purpose remains to strengthen the international framework that recognizes creators’ rights, supports effective collective management and enables creativity to continue flourishing in an increasingly interconnected world." This forward-looking statement emphasizes the continuous effort required to adapt copyright laws and collection mechanisms to the complexities of the digital age and the challenges posed by new technologies like AI.
The 2025 Global Collections Report paints a picture of a music publishing industry in a state of dynamic transformation. Driven by digital innovation and the formalization of new collection streams, the sector is experiencing significant financial growth. However, this growth is accompanied by the imperative to address the profound implications of artificial intelligence, which demands proactive legislative and policy responses to safeguard human creativity. The sustained efforts of CISAC and its global network of CMOs will be critical in navigating these evolving landscapes, ensuring that creators worldwide continue to be fairly compensated for their invaluable contributions to culture and entertainment. The next chapter for music publishing will undoubtedly be defined by how effectively the industry can embrace technological progress while upholding the fundamental principles of creators’ rights.
