Payments to authors of musical hits collapsed by almost 50% amid pandemic

Last year's collections of royalties amounted to 3.3 billion rubles. This turned out to be almost 1.6 times less than in 2019 (5.085 billion rubles), follows from the report of the Russian Authors' Society, an organization accredited by the Ministry of Culture for the collective management of rights, acting in the interests of authors of musical works. Fees in 2020 were the lowest in ten years. In 2011, RAO collected 2.9 billion rubles, in 2012 - already 3.4 billion rubles.

“In RUSSIA now, for obvious reasons, there is a serious minus for concert activity. But the main share of our fees is connected with the consumer market - with bars, restaurants, cafes, whose activities were also affected by the pandemic and related restrictions, ”explained last year’s failure, RAO Executive DIRECTOR Alexei Karelov.

All institutions, where, as a rule, music sounds in the background, make deductions to RAO. For example, the monthly rate for restaurants (if the area where music is heard does not exceed 70 sq. m.) is 40 rubles. for 1 sq. m, but not less than 1.5 thousand rubles. If this is a live performance of the performer, then the rate rises to 54 rubles. for 1 sq. m, but not less than 1.9 thousand rubles. In 2020, deductions for the public performance of works amounted to less than 1.5 billion rubles. against 3 billion rubles. in 2019

They make deductions to the RAO and TV channels with radio stations for the music used on their air. These fees also sank, but not so significantly: 1.5 billion rubles. in 2020 against 1.8 billion rubles. in 2019

The total amount of UES expenses last year decreased slightly: 1.4 billion rubles. against 1.5 billion rubles. a year earlier.