Dutch Popular Music is thriving abroad

Buma Culture annually analyses the primary forms of exploiting Dutch popular music in foreign markets, including copyrights, recordings, and performances. For the year 2023, they studied 1236 artists, of whom 837 were Dutch artists active outside the Netherlands. Eventually, a total of 10,746 foreign performances were registered in the past year. In 2023, there was a 15% increase in value compared to 2022 with the Dutch music export contributing over € 198 million to the Dutch economy in 2023.

In 2022, the 'reopening of the world' after the COVID-19 pandemic led to a remarkable increase in value. However, the export value declined in 2021 due to the pandemic. The growth in 2023 is attributed to a significant number of performances outside the Netherlands. Markets such as China, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Chile, and Colombia reopened and acted as growth markets over the past year.

The data highlights the resilience and growth of Dutch music export in 2023. The figures underscore the importance of the music industry as a significant contributor to the Dutch economy and reflect its ability to adapt and thrive in changing circumstances.

Have you been working abroad as a cultural professional in 2023? As part of our cultural database, each year we create an annual mapping that reviews the activities of Dutch artists and organisations across the globe. We are currently working on last year's mapping. Did you participate in any international activities in 2023? Then please add your activities directly to our database through your MyDC account.