Export value of Dutch pop music rose again in 2023

Dutch popular music again generated more revenue abroad last year than the year before. The export value is estimated at over 198 million euros in 2023, an increase of 15 percent compared to 2022. That was evident from research conducted by the Perfect & More BV agency on behalf of Buma Cultuur. In 2022, the value of music exports amounted to 171 million euros.

The research that Buma Cultuur has had conducted annually since 2004 shows that, at 152 million euros, most of the export value comes from performances. The rights on music raised about 38 million euros, and recordings were worth almost 8 million euros. The study examined 1,236 artists, of whom 837 were active abroad. It registered 10,746 performances across the border.

The Dutch artist with the most performances abroad was Tiësto. The 54-year-old DJ performed 121 times on a foreign stage last year. Colleague Martin Garrix is in second place with 99 shows, and Afrojack takes third place with 94 foreign performances. The top 10 also includes other music genres. The Nijmegen punk rock formation Antillectual is in fifth place with 88 performances outside the Netherlands. The piano-playing brothers Lucas and Arthur Jussen took seventh place with 86 performances.

The study mentions the reopening of the Chinese market as the main reason for the increase in export values. In addition, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Chile, and Colombia are mentioned as growth markets. It also appears that the dance industry has an increasing impact on the figures. The sector’s share grew from 33 percent in 2009 to almost 66 percent last year.

The total export value in 2023 is still behind the peak year of 2018 when the total value was over 216 million euros. The following year, it fell slightly to over 214 million euros before collapsing to around 75 million euros in the coronavirus year 2020.

“It was quite stressful, given the inward-looking trend that can be observed in more and more countries. With that in mind, these numbers are absolutely fantastic,” said Buma Cultuur director Frank Helmink. He expects to surpass the record year of 2018 next year. “By continuing to invest in export support, we can become one of the largest music-exporting countries in the EU,” he said.