Björn Ulvaeus has used his foreword to CISAC’s 2026 Global Collections Report to argue that “human creativity is not the enemy of artificial intelligence. It is the reason artificial intelligence exists.”
Every royalty in the report, writes the ABBA co-founder and CISAC President, “began with a human idea.”
According to its music section, global songwriter royalties collected hit a record €14.06 billion (USD $15.87 billion, at the IRS’s 2025 average annual exchange rate) in 2025.
That’s up 11.9% YoY from a restated €12.56 billion in 2024, and 83.5% higher than in 2016. You can read the full report here.
The foreword repeats the central line of the speech Ulvaeus gave in Geneva in July, but not that speech’s specific demand: that creators be “paid for what went in” via a share of AI subscription revenues.
In the report, he writes that creators “are not asking to slow progress. We are asking to help shape it.”
CISAC Director General Gadi Oron said that “as we enter the age of AI, past growth cannot be taken for granted.”
Here are five things you should know about the music figures in the report…
1. The MLC’s first-time inclusion accounted for more than half of global growth
According to CISAC, the increase was largely driven by the first-time inclusion of the US-based Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), which collects US mechanical royalties from streaming and download services and joined CISAC in 2025. Excluding The MLC, global music collections grew 5.3%.
US digital music collections rose 71.3% YoY to €2.39 billion ($2.69 billion) in 2025. Excluding The MLC, they totaled €1.55 billion ($1.75 billion), up 11.4%.
The €835 million ($942 million) difference accounts for more than half of the €1.50 billion ($1.69 billion) increase in global music collections.
Overall, US music collections rose 29.7% to €4.07 billion ($4.60 billion), keeping the US as the world’s largest market. Excluding The MLC, US collections rose 3.1%, according to CISAC.
France and the UK remained the second- and third-largest markets, with collections of €1.59 billion ($1.79 billion, up 7.5%) and €1.28 billion ($1.45 billion, up 8.9%), respectively.
By region, Canada/USA led growth at 26.6%, ahead of Central and Eastern Europe (12.8%), Latin America and the Caribbean (9.4%), Western Europe (6.8%), and Asia-Pacific (1.9%), while Africa declined 2.3%. Western Europe remained the largest region, at €6.35 billion ($7.17 billion).
Excluding The MLC, Canada/USA music collections grew by around 2.8%, by MBW’s calculation. That would have made Central and Eastern Europe the fastest-growing region, as it was in 2024.
CISAC says Canada/USA is also the fastest-growing region since 2016, up 149.8%, though that figure, like the 83.5% global rise, includes The MLC. Even without it, MBW estimates the region is up around 103%, still the fastest.
2. Digital services accounted for 45.6% of music collections
Digital covers royalties from licensing streaming and download services, from music platforms such as Spotify to video-on-demand services such as Netflix.
Digital music collections rose 27.9% to €6.41 billion ($7.24 billion) in 2025, or 45.6% of the total, making digital the largest source of music collections. Excluding The MLC, they grew 11.2%.
After the US, the largest digital music markets were France (€731 million, up 12.4%), the UK (€678 million, up 15.6%), Japan (€434 million, up 9.3%), and Germany (€327 million, up 5.7%).
New licensing deals with Orange and Bouygues Telecom lifted digital revenue in France, while the UK benefited from growth in paid streaming subscriptions and broadcaster video-on-demand services such as BBC iPlayer.
In China, digital collections rose 61.4% to €30 million ($34 million) after local society MCSC renewed agreements with Tencent Music and NetEase Cloud Music, following four years of negotiation.
In South Korea, digital collections fell 1.6% to €135 million in euro terms, but rose 7.1% in local currency.
3. Live & Background overtook TV & Radio
Live & Background, which covers royalties from concerts and festivals as well as music played in shops, restaurants, hotels, and gyms, overtook TV & Radio for the first time to become the second-largest source of music collections.
The category grew 7.3% to €3.62 billion ($4.09 billion), accounting for 25.8% of global music collections.
Growth was led by France (up 9.3%), where live performance revenue jumped 44.9%, followed by the UK (up 8.5%) and Germany (up 6.9%).
Live performance collections rose 14.9% to €1.4 billion, the third straight year above €1 billion, while background music rose 5.6% to €1.2 billion. Both figures are based on a sample of societies’ data, so they don’t add up to the category total.
4. TV & Radio fell to its lowest level since 2021
TV & Radio music collections fell 3.0% to €3.32 billion ($3.74 billion) in 2025, the lowest total since 2021. The category accounted for 23.6% of global music collections.
CISAC says the decline was primarily due to decreases in the largest collecting markets, which together account for nearly two-thirds of global broadcast revenue. In France, broadcast collections fell 4.4%.
Smaller markets told a different story. In India, the late payment of a broadcaster licensing fee drove a 184.1% increase, more than reversing the previous year’s 50.4% fall.
Malaysia’s TV & Radio collections rose 367.5% to a record €4.7 million after it received three years of outstanding broadcaster payments.
TV & Radio revenue also rose 70.2% in Argentina, which the report attributes to rising radio advertising revenue, and 27.4% in Belgium due to a back payment.
5. The decline in physical royalties slowed
Music collections from CDs and video fell 0.9% to €326 million ($368 million) in 2025, compared with a 13.2% decline the previous year.
The decrease was driven by falls of 47.5% in the US, 9.4% in South Korea, and 6.5% in Germany. Excluding those three markets, physical collections grew 8.3%.
Japan remained the world’s largest collecting country for physical music royalties, with collections up 0.9% to €116.0 million.
France made the largest contribution to growth, according to CISAC, with physical collections up 37.9% to €21.9 million.
In Greece, growth of 784.4% was driven by new mechanical licensing agreements with Universal Music covering the local market.
Elsewhere in the music data, private copying collections fell 6.6% to €252 million, while synchronization collections fell 5.4% to €58 million.
Reservoir (Nasdaq: RSVR) is a publicly traded, global independent music company with operations across music publishing, recorded music, and artist management. Music Business Worldwide
MBW Explains: Key Insights from CISAC’s 2026 Global Collections Report
In the foreword of the 2026 Global Collections Report by CISAC, Björn Ulvaeus, the co-founder of ABBA and current CISAC President, emphasizes the symbiotic relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence (AI). He asserts that human creativity is the very foundation upon which AI is built, stating that every royalty discussed in the report originated from a human idea. Notably, the report highlights that global songwriter royalties reached an all-time high of €14.06 billion (approximately $15.87 billion) in 2025, marking an 11.9% year-over-year increase from €12.56 billion in 2024 and an impressive 83.5% rise compared to 2016.
Ulvaeus reiterates a point he made during a speech in Geneva, where he called for creators to receive compensation based on their contributions to AI-generated content. He emphasizes that creators are not resistant to progress but rather seek to influence its direction positively. Gadi Oron, CISAC’s Director General, cautions that while past growth has been significant, it cannot be assumed to continue in the age of AI.
Here are five critical takeaways from the report regarding the music industry:
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Impact of the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC):
The substantial increase in global music collections is largely attributed to the MLC’s first-time inclusion, which accounted for more than half of the overall growth. The MLC, which collects mechanical royalties in the U.S., joined CISAC in 2025, contributing €835 million to the total increase of €1.50 billion in global music collections. When excluding the MLC, the growth rate for global music collections was a more modest 5.3%. Digital music collections in the U.S. surged by 71.3% year-over-year to €2.39 billion ($2.69 billion), while overall U.S. collections rose 29.7% to €4.07 billion ($4.60 billion), solidifying the U.S.’s position as the leading market for music collections. -
Growth of Digital Music Collections:
Digital music collections have become the most significant source of revenue, making up 45.6% of total collections. The digital segment saw a 27.9% increase, reaching €6.41 billion ($7.24 billion) in 2025. Notably, growth was driven by the U.S., which remains the largest digital music market, followed by France, the UK, Japan, and Germany. In China, digital collections rose by an impressive 61.4%, attributed to renewed licensing agreements with major music platforms. -
Shift to Live & Background Royalties:
For the first time, Live & Background royalties, which include earnings from concerts and music played in public venues, surpassed TV & Radio collections, becoming the second-largest source of music collections. This category grew by 7.3% to €3.62 billion ($4.09 billion), driven by significant growth in live performance revenues, particularly in France and the UK. Live performance collections alone rose 14.9%, highlighting the resurgence of live music events post-pandemic. -
Decline in TV & Radio Collections:
Conversely, collections from TV & Radio fell by 3.0% to €3.32 billion ($3.74 billion), marking the lowest level since 2021. This decline was primarily due to reductions in the largest collecting markets, including France, where broadcast collections decreased by 4.4%. However, some smaller markets like India and Malaysia experienced substantial increases due to outstanding payments from broadcasters. -
Physical Royalties and Their Decline:
Physical music collections from CDs and videos experienced a slight decline of 0.9% to €326 million ($368 million) in 2025, a notable slowdown compared to a 13.2% decline the prior year. This decrease was largely due to significant drops in the U.S. and other key markets. However, Japan remained the largest market for physical music royalties, with a slight increase, while France and Greece reported notable growth due to new licensing agreements.
In summary, the CISAC 2026 Global Collections Report indicates a dynamic landscape for the music industry, with digital collections leading the growth trajectory and live music revenues rebounding strongly. The inclusion of the MLC has significantly impacted overall growth figures, while traditional revenue streams like TV & Radio continue to face challenges. As the industry adapts to the evolving role of AI, the call for fair compensation for creators remains a crucial discussion point for the future of music royalties.
