SGAE achieves the highest revenue ever
Distributed authors rights are close to 350M euros
Lower administration fee add 6.7M euros to the distribution
The digital market has experienced the highest growth rate, at 25%
In 2024, with 390M Euros, Sociedad General de Autores y Editores (SGAE) obtained the highest global revenue ever in its 125-year history. The number represents a growth of 11.7% and an increase of 41M compared to 2023. The society distributed more than 349M euros, which exceeds the previous financial year (329M) and represents the second-highest amount of authors rights distributed ever. Since 2022, it has been progressively reducing its members' administration fee, resulting in an increase of 6.7M euros in distributions.
The digital market has experienced the highest growth rate, at 25% (60M Euros in 2024). Streaming, a sector that is making positive progress in terms of its business model, accounts for 55.6% of this revenue. This is followed by audiovisual platforms (43.2%) and the rest (1.3%) is shared by internet radio, downloads and ringtones for mobile phones.
Foreign revenue of 35.2M Euros also set a new record. This amount represents an increase of 15.4% compared to 2023. And for the second year running, the 30M barrier has been surpassed. This international revenue is mainly accounted for by the European market as a whole (16.4M, primarily France and Italy), followed by Latin America and the Caribbean (10M) and the United States and Canada (8M).
The highest authors rights collection comes from broadcasting and cable, with 110M Euros, which is 18.9% more than in 2023. This revenue was due to various public and private television channels settling arrears and other radio and television companies paying their contributions as regularly as before.
The live arts as a whole have experienced an increase of 16.2%, going from 55.2M in 2023 to 64.1M the following year. Broken down by category, it is the performing arts, with 12.4M Euros, that account for the highest percentage (13.2%). Live popular music, totalling 48.7M, represents an increase of 7.4%. In 2024, top of the ranking of concerts held in Spain are performances starring Karol G (at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and Metallica (both at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano). They are followed by performances by Bruce Springsteen at the Olympic Stadium in Barcelona and AC/DC at the La Cartuja Stadium in Seville.
Furthermore, revenue from symphony performances marks a milestone in the society’s history by exceeding 3M Euros for the first time, 2.7% more than the previous year. Authors rights from public communication (live music as a secondary activity, broadcasting of recorded music, cinema exhibition, etc.) stand at around 74M. A growth of almost 9%.
Private copying revenue has reached 16.3M Euros, an amount that, when compared to 2023’s ordinary collection, represents a growth of 57.2%. However, as a result of last year’s extraordinary payment of 16M Euros in compensatory damages caused by the State to intellectual property rights holders, the final result is a decrease of 38.1%.
When it comes to physical formats, the resurgence of vinyl sales, in particular, has contributed to an 11.8% rise in revenue, reaching 3.8M Euros.
Administration fees drop to pre-pandemic levels
Since 2022, the society has applied a progressive decrease in the administration fee to its members, resulting in a total increase of 6.7M Euros. The greatest reduction has been experienced by the public communication modality, dropping from 40% to 34% during this time. Meanwhile, authors rights from abroad fell from 10% to 8%; those of television broadcasters, from 18% to 17%; and those relating to streaming, which until 2023 remained at 10%, decreased to 9% in 2024 and those linked to the performing arts, from 15% until 2022 to 14% from 2023 onwards.
Monthly distribution of royalties in major concerts and digital markets
SGAE distributes authors rights to its members on a quarterly basis, although it does so on a monthly basis for digital platforms, performing arts events and major concerts. In its last distribution of 2024, a total of 75,019 members, including foreign societies, collected income from authors rights derived from their works.