Record results for SUISA thanks to strong concert and online performance

SUISA recorded its highest royalty revenues ever in 2023. The record results were mainly due to the concert sector. Two years after the end of the pandemic, SUISA realised its highest revenues ever in this sector. In 2023, SUISA revenues in the online sector also continued to climb. Overall, SUISA collected CHF 206.6 million in revenues, of which it distributed CHF 176 million to music authors and publishers.

Zurich, 20 June 2024 – SUISA looks back once again on a record year. SUISA, the Cooperative Society for Authors and Publishers of Music, announced these results at its General Meeting on Tuesday in the Bierhübeli in Bern. For the first time in its history, SUISA’s operating income overstepped the CHF 200 million mark, reaching CHF 206.6 million. Of these, CHF 198.1 million came from its core business, the management of authors’ rights in Switzerland and abroad. Compared with the prior year, this represents an increase of 9.8% (2022: CHF 180.5 million).

Growth in revenues from concerts, parties and background music

Barely two years after the end of the pandemic, licensing revenues from performance rights were up sharply again in 2023. The concert sector saw the strongest growth: here SUISA collected CHF 27 million in revenues last year, up 43.7% compared with the year before (2022: CHF 18.8 million). Moreover, revenues from parties and from background music in shops, restaurants and bars were also up. Overall, performance rights generated revenues of CHF 57.6 million, a 22% increase over 2022 (CHF 47.2 million).

Online revenues continue to grow

Last year, revenues for the dissemination of music online in Switzerland and abroad also increased. They amounted to CHF 47.3 million, a 13.2% increase over the prior year (2022: CHF 41.8 million) This includes revenues from video-on-demand offers in Switzerland, as well as the revenues of SUISA’s subsidiary SUISA Digital Licensing, responsible for licensing foreign online platforms.

At CHF 62.7 million, broadcasting rights still account for the lion’s share of SUISA’s revenues. Compared with last year, broadcasting revenues were relatively steady, decreasing by only 0.3% (2022: CHF 62.9 million). While in the past, broadcasting revenues largely took advantage of the growth in commercials, advertising is now shifting increasingly online where target groups are easier to reach.

Revenues from blank audio media levies were also quite steady, falling slightly by 1.9% to CHF 14.8 million (2022: CHF 3.6 million). As for reproduction rights, the downward trend of recent years seems to have stopped, if only temporarily. At CHF 3.8 million, they were up 6.3% over 2022 (CHF 3.6 million).

Highest distributable amount ever

Thanks to the excellent results for the financial year, SUISA can distribute a larger settlement than ever before to music authors and publishers. The distributable amount equals CHF 176 million, a 9.8% increase over the amount distributed in 2023 (CHF 160.3). Accordingly, for each 100 Swiss francs collected in royalties, SUISA passes on 87 Swiss francs to music authors, publishers and lyricists.

SUISA Group: key consolidated figures for the 2023 financial year (in CHF millions)

* The online revenues of the SUISA Group include the online revenues of SUISA Cooperative Society and SUISA Digital Licensing AG.

Media relations:

Giorgio Tebaldi
Head of Communication SUISA
phone +41 44 485 65 03
email: giorgio.tebaldi@suisa.ch

About SUISA

SUISA is the cooperative society for composers, lyricists and music publishers in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Its 42 000 members represent all musical walks of life. SUISA represents the world music repertoire of two million authors in Switzerland and Liechtenstein. It licenses the use of this world repertoire to over 120 000 customers. In 2017, SUISA and SESAC, a US music rights organisation, established Mint Digital Services in joint venture. Mint Digital Services is responsible for the accounting and management of the transnational music licensing activities of SESAC and its subsidiary The Harry Fox Agency, and for SUISA's business with online providers; the joint venture company also provides services for publishers.

SUISA employs a staff of 220 in its offices in Zurich, Lausanne, and Lugano and realises an annual turnover of more than CHF 200 million. As a not-for-profit organisation, SUISA distributes its licensing revenues, net of a cost coverage deduction, to music authors and publishers.