Music industry
German artists are becoming more important internationally
The band Madsen plays at the Southside Festival. photo
© Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa
Alice Merton and DJ Robin Schulz have done it: they are also heard internationally. But how do you bring German musicians to the international market?
Bringing local artists to the market
It remains exciting to see how the phenomenon of so-called “glocalization” – i.e. the mix of globalization and localization – will develop in the coming years, says Drücke. “Streaming offers a great opportunity for local artists. In any case, there is even more going on in German radio in this regard.” It remains a challenge to find out how Germany can establish musicians worldwide – in German or English or as electronic music DJs, regardless of the language.
The vice president of the German Music Council, Udo Dahmen, also sees this as an important development for the internationalization of the German music market. “There are many artists who sing in English for whom an international career is interesting.” Alice Merton, Zoe Wees, Kim Petras, but also DJs like Robin Schulz or Paul van Dyk, some of whom have made it into the UK and US charts with their songs or collaborations, are just the best-known examples.
Berlin is becoming more important as a location
Berlin could also become increasingly important as a location. Since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the capital has been particularly exciting for many artists, says Dahmen. “In recent years, living and working space has become more scarce and more expensive due to the constant influx of artists.” This is an issue, especially for young artists, that makes it more difficult for them to gain a foothold in the city.
The label Warner Music Group probably took a step in this direction this year when it opened a representative office in Berlin. Press from the music association says very clearly: “In the global market, with a view to Europe, not everything takes place in London anymore.” Many international careers began in Berlin. “I notice that a lot is happening here, including in terms of cooperation with the start-up scene.”
Digital market continues to shape the music industry
“We see that the industry’s strategy of embracing digitalization has worked and is bearing fruit,” said Drücke. There has never been so much music on so many different channels as there is now. “We come from an industry where sales collapsed 20 years ago – because of the many illegal uses. 20 years later we have managed to bring many people into highly attractive legal and, above all, paid streaming offers.”
Making music available is no longer a complicated matter today, says Drücke. “The question is: How do you get noticed? The competition for attention is extremely intense these days due to the diverse and simultaneous offerings, which is why artists need even more strong partnerships.”
According to Dahmen, the music market is particularly tough for newcomers. Smaller clubs have difficulty finding enough spectators – the scene has still not fully recovered after the corona pandemic. It seems to have become more difficult for artists – even an offer from streaming services doesn’t always help. “It’s not easy to assert yourself via streaming or social media. Right now, the big artists are still benefiting more.” Even with a million streams, the musicians would only earn around 4,000 euros.
Is streaming even lucrative for artists?
In recent years, the discussion about fair pay for artists has flared up again and again. This year Spotify increased its price – good news, says Drücke: “And it’s another step towards increasing the overall pie for creatives and their partners.” As a representative of musicians in Germany, Dahmen, however, is calling for a new billing model that gives greater consideration to lesser-known artists.