First comprehensive study of the German music streaming market

Music streaming is booming and dominating the music market today. But who actually earns from streaming and how much ultimately gets through to the music creators? A study commissioned by GEMA and carried out by the Goldmedia consulting and research group has now extensively examined this and other questions for the German music streaming market. The study is based on current market data, interviews with industry experts and an online survey among GEMA members. It offers a hitherto unique fact base for developments and challenges on the German market 

Streaming has fundamentally changed the global music market in the past decade. Today, music is available more easily, can be used more individually and is cheaper than ever before. 45 percent of Germans use music streaming; among 14- to 29-year-olds, the share is already as high as 84 percent. Music streaming is a billion-Euro-market in Germany - and following a growing trend. At the same time, criticism was raised vis-à-vis the streaming services regarding the fact that they hardly let the music creators participate in the growing revenues. 

A study commissioned by GEMA from the Goldmedia consulting and research group now provides the first comprehensive analysis of the German music streaming market. “We wanted to create an empirical base with this study which finally enables a fact-based debate regarding the challenges on the music streaming market”, explains Dr Harald Heker, CEO of GEMA. “The figures of the study prove the urgency of this debate.” 

CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus has played a key role in raising the debate over fair remuneration for songwriters in the streaming world. “If we accept that the song – or the creative work of any repertoire – is the foundation of our creative industries, why do we then accept the near-invisibility of the creator in the commercial value chain? These creators are where our creative industries start. Without their work, the global “creative sector”, worth billions of dollars, would just not exist.”