Without wishing to reduce an entire nation down to football and music, in recent years Spain has been fabulous at football, but woeful at legal music revenues. In 2014, though, both have flipped. The less said about Spain’s World Cup performance, the better, but the country’s music industry appears to be bouncing back from its longtime piracy woes. Figures released by industry body Promusicae show music revenues rising in the first half of 2014: up 6.2% year-on-year to €58.1m ($78.5m). Along with a series of big album releases, Billboard reports that streaming growth is being cited as an important factor in the industry’s revival in Spain: streaming revenues rose 14% to €18.9m in the first half of 2014, meaning they now account for just under a third of overall industry revenues. Yet look to at the startling rise in physical sales: up 6.5% year-on-year to €32.1m. Nobody’s counting chickens yet: Promusicae boss Antonio Guisasola was “cautious but moderately satisfied with these results that, for the first time in a very long time, give certain cause for hope”.
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Tools: Kaiber
In the year or so since its launch, AI startup Kaiber has been making waves,…