Taping IPR benefits for Music Industry

The earnings generated by the global music business is enormous revenues it generates.According to a research study, the global demand for live Music Market size share valued at approximately USD 34.84 Billion in 2024.

The same has a potential to reach USD 38.58 Billion in 2025 and is likely to grow to a value of around USD 62.59 Billion by 2034, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 8.78% during the forecast period 2025 to 2034.

A subscription streaming is the key driver of this growth, with an increase of 9.5% whilst users of subscription accounts grew by 10.6% to worth USD 752 million globally.

The total revenue in the music market was US $ 1.61m in 2022, just a meagre if we compare it with 2024 revenue mentioned above.

By Working within a highly competitive market, record companies’ long-term investment into the careers of artists, alongside the development and licensing of engaging and exciting ways for fans to experience music, continues to drive the growth of the global market – with every region experiencing an increase in revenue in 2024.

The essential role music plays in so many parts of our lives is evidenced in the continued growth of the global industry.

What is so exciting is that there is still great potential for further development, through innovation, emerging technologies, and investment in both artists and the evolving parts of the growing global music ecosystem.

These positive developments don’t happen by accident. They reflect the brilliant creativity, vision and hard work of artists and songwriters around the globe, powered in part by the work, investment, and passion of record companies and their teams.

In the case of record labels, returning revenues enable them to be patient, long-term, consistent investors in artists, innovation, and culture.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) happens to be a booster for music industry. Recording companies have embraced its potential to enhance artist creativity and develop new and exciting fan experiences. We must harness the potential of AI to support and amplify human creativity, not to replace it.”

The music industry in Pakistan contributes significantly to the country’s Gross domestic product (GDP). According to the Pakistan Economic Survey 2020-2021, the entertainment and cultural sector, which includes the music industry, contributed approximately 1.5% to the country’s GDP.

This indicates the substantial economic potential and impact of the industry on national economic growth with employed over 100,000 individuals in 2019. IP rights provide the framework for protecting musical work.

These rights empower music as a business, giving the opportunity to creators to control the use of their work, receive fair compensation and invest in future projects. Protecting music goes hand in hand with protecting our culture and performing arts.

We have had record coercive social and religious seizures and that’s generated great disrespect for us domestically and globally as during last two decades, no musical concerts and Maga events had been organized by the government.

Musical and cultural growth only come through appreciation and promotion of cultural ties and harmony. Music is a crucial tool for the growth of cultural soft power in Pakistan,thus its difficult to ignore the investment of it. This requires consistent and long term polices of the government for musical industry.

The music industry has a dynamic landscape, constantly evolving with technological advancement and changing consumer preferences.

From streaming services to live performances. IP rights are essential for navigating this complex environment. Musicians and industry professionals must stay informed about the latest development in IP law to effectively manage their creative assets.

Vitality of a nation and the mark it makes on its own people and the world at large is gauged through its cultural activity and momentum. When a nation actively supports and promotes its cultural expressions, it enhances its global presence and influence.

A nation’s cultural expressions, whether through art, music, literature, or other forms, represent its creativity, heritage, values and aspirations. Pakistani music is famous and adores due to its deep rooted cultural melodious in folk, classical, semi-Classical, Ghazal Qawwali, Pop, rock and fusion.

Music industry can be one of the most bankable sectors, if our musical fraternities invent music of universal form of creative expression, adoptability combine with latest technologies toincrease listeners worldwide.

The music industry of Pakistan should remain linked to IP and all other new path emerged during the time and acquired place in the heart of the listeners.

IP rights protect the music and technical inventions of it; such a music mixing to technologies to improve musical instruments and patents paved the way into technological advancements for the benefits of musicians and fan around the world.

The PTV and Radio Pakistan, Local Radio, FM, Cultural and heritage departments of Federal and provincial governments, Lok versa, NBF, and Private and public music archive holders, musical performers, musicians and music brand holders, should ensure they register their Intellectual property rights in Music whether it’s in shape of trade marks, Patents of musical instruments, design of traditional musical instruments, folk music, lyrics of songs, copyrights, catalogue, labels in order to ensure protection.

The protection through IP enables artists to engage with fans through memorabilia and merchandising.

In the way of promotion and protection of musical work through legal battles, musicians and creators can navigate the complexities of IP, from landmark court cases to innovative business strategies exploring how artists can leverage their rights to build legacies, protect their work, and transform challenges into opportunities, whether its reclaiming ownership, adapting to digital shifts, or pioneering new creative path, these narratives highlight the dynamic interplay between music and IP into days global landscape.

The monetary benefits in terms of royalties, are compensation payments for the exploitation of the music and recoding.

This could be from a synchronization license granted by a collective management organization. The legal team of musician can monitor and conduct legal audit under IP regime to protect the rights as well the revenue for the musicians and the country.

The legal support under IP to musicians is compulsory for protection of music rights and to understand music value chain. They need to understand how they can manage their Intellectual creations and their respective rights in the music marketplace to make the best decisions for them as creators.

The authors are starting points of the music industry. A music publisher acting on behalf of authors, ensures that these of the song is done with the respective remuneration and credit ensuring that the creators are rewarded for their creativity.

Amid this discussion, it is important that the IP authorities ensure due recognition of the art and their copy rights so that the intellectual work should not go unpaid.

The IP laws can help people claim their intellectual property rights as all digital platforms give preference to IP which has increased income of the performers or creators.

This is time now to get Pakistani music recognized and monetized over digital music market.The future here is not about updating and iterating music forms,but about the future economy’s friendliness to music and the musicians.