IMRO Reports Record Revenues in 2024 with16% Growth

The Irish Music Rights Organization (IMRO) has announced record-breaking revenues for 2024, reporting total income of €53 million ($60.74M). This figure represents a 16% increase over the previous year and a 25% rise compared to 2022.

Distributions to songwriters and publishers reached €46M ($52.66M) in 2024, reflecting a 22% year-on-year increase and a 62% surge since 2022. IMRO’s international profile continues to expand, with new member admissions up 63%. The organization welcomed 4,323 new members in 2024, bringing total global membership to over 26,500 music creators across 180 countries.

Ireland’s live music sector saw strong growth, with concert revenues climbing to €9.1M ($10.43M), a 29% increase year-on-year. This growth underscores the robust demand for live performances and the enduring strength of Ireland’s music culture. The premium segment, particularly outdoor events, was a major driver of growth, pushing box office revenues to new highs.

Broadcast revenue rose to €10.4M ($11.92M)—up 6% from the previous year. A notable achievement in 2024 was the completion of a new five-year agreement with the satellite broadcast sector, ensuring continued royalty collections from foreign broadcasters serving the Irish market.

Multi-territorial online revenue reached €6.3M ($7.22M) in 2024, marking a 59% (€2.3 million/$2.64 million) increase over the prior year. This growth reflects both broader market momentum and IMRO’s expanding membership, as more rights holders, distributors, and digital platforms select IMRO as their preferred partner for rights management across online, live, and broadcast sectors.

IMRO is entering a new phase of digital transformation, aiming to enhance the experience for both members and licensees. In 2025, IMRO will launch a new self-licensing portal, simplifying the process for businesses to obtain licenses and ensuring fair remuneration for commercial music use. The organization is also streamlining its tariffs system to boost licensing and public performance royalty collections in Ireland at lower costs. The introduction of music recognition technology will further improve the accuracy and fairness of public performance reporting.

“This year’s results reflect not just the strength and diversity of our members’ repertoires worldwide, but also IMRO’s ongoing commitment to championing music creators in a rapidly evolving industry,” says IMRO CEO Victor Finn. “In particular, our work on artificial intelligence and copyright protections places us at the forefront of global policy and advocacy for music creators.”

Finn adds: “The upcoming Code of Practice for the Implementation of the EU AI Act must establish unambiguous rules to ensure that music rights holders receive a fair share of the remuneration generated by AI platforms using copyrighted music.”