Redefining the Philippine music industry in the age of AI and streaming 

By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter

FOR Filipino musicians, the digital age has led to a democratized music landscape, where anyone can publish and promote their music online. But it has also led to a more competitive, fast-paced industry. Amid a global boom in music, issues of upholding copyright and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) plague composers and songwriters.

Though concerts and live performances are back in full swing following the COVID-19 pandemic, the music industry remains forever changed in a world driven by online content.

In July, the Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino (LMP), established in 2014 through Proclamation No. 933, celebrated Filipino music for the entire month through performances, discussions, and workshops. It is mounted annually by the Organisasyon ng mga Pilipinong Mang-Aawit (OPM).

“I think these kinds of events are important because I think it’s always important to help artists with their music journey. One way is really giving them a space to learn more and expand their knowledge, especially for those who want to do this professionally and don’t know how the business side of the digital music economy works,” OPM Executive Director Gab Cabangon told BusinessWorld in an interview.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that the gross value added of the country’s creative industry-related activities expanded by 8.7% year-on-year, from P1.78 trillion in 2023 to P1.94 trillion in 2024. The music sector’s contribution to that is 8.3%, which amounts to P20 billion.

However, allocating resources to better support the music industry remains lacking. “There’s really a lot of homegrown talent, but the global market has so many options,” said Mr. Cabangon on the sidelines of the LMP talk series.

“There’s opportunity for more support from both public and private sectors. For example, we don’t have to follow the K-pop model exactly, but there are some best practices from them that we can apply, such as a bigger investment in music,” he added.

OPM board member, singer Gary Valenciano told BusinessWorld in an interview that “the music industry right now is at an all-time high.”

He cited the Wish Music Awards in January, where each nominee garnered significant cheers resounding throughout the huge Araneta Coliseum. The top winners included BINI, SB19, Dilaw, Cup of Joe, Zack Tabudlo, Al James, Dionela, Arthur Nery, and Hev Abi.

“I don’t think it’s ever been like this. It’s not just surviving; it’s really thriving, and everyone has a lot of respect for each other. There’s a lot of good music to choose from out of all the Pinoy artists we have today,” Mr. Valenciano said.

Spotify’s head of music for Asia, Kossy Ng, said that their promotional initiatives like RADAR — a playlist of new releases that updates every Friday — are geared towards inspiring more Pinoy artists. The latest partnership that Spotify has had with a local artist is with P-pop boy group SB19, which released a multi-platform experience for their Simula at Wakas extended play launch and tour back in May.

“We’re just as excited about how they are inspiring other Pinoy artists and taking the local P-pop scene to the next level,” Ms. Ng said in a statement sent to BusinessWorld via e-mail.

In October last year, Spotify found that the amount of Filipino music on the platform “quadrupled over the past five years.”

Another artist they noted which has seen tremendous success is P-pop girl group BINI, with “a listenership growth of 500% since 2022.”

“We’re committed to providing artists with the ability to share their stories and create richer experiences that deepen their relationship with fans, so listeners feel like they are truly part of the journey,” added Ms. Ng.

FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL
This year’s Fête de la Musique — the global music event which started in France — had an event that brought together creatives from the Philippines, France, and other parts of Asia to discuss expanding local talent into global markets using technology. Led by SONIK Philippines, the country’s music export arm, it is one of many local initiatives that seek to uncover how the digital creative economy is shaping the future of music.

The past few years have seen significant growth in the local music community and the desire among Filipino artists to collaborate globally, according to Sonik Philippines Co-founder Mike Constantino.

“SONIK is our country’s de facto music export commission, exporting artists since 2019. We co-founded it with NCCA (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) and now we’re working with AFM (Alliance Française de Manille),” he said at the press conference for the event.

“Since then, we’ve seen huge growth in this community and the desire of our artists to share their talents abroad.”

This year’s session identified what the Philippines must do to maximize the global potential of homegrown music talent: improve copyright infrastructure, increase funding in creative industries, and develop long-term export strategies.

The government’s Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, made in 2022, was formed to boost the country’s potential to be a hub for creative industries, but many stakeholders see this as just a starting point. Artists, composers, and musicians will need to make their voices heard to guide the government to a fruitful strategy for all.

“Especially for musicians starting out, my advice is join whatever organization you can to be able to speak with a louder voice,” Jim Paredes, singer-songwriter-producer and board trustee at the Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (FILSCAP), told BusinessWorld in an interview in July.

“This industry needs more synergy. Everybody wants to reinvent the wheel and make new initiatives, but we have to all support those for it to work,” he said.

At the LMP talk series, many industry stakeholders noted that the digital music economy has changed how Filipino music must be promoted on a global scale.

Jeli Mateo, chief executive officer of independent record label Flip Music Productions, said that “visual branding is everything now.”

“How you communicate your story as an artist is vital given the consumption patterns of this generation,” she explained.

This was echoed by Raymond Fabul, Sony Music Philippines’ artist management director. “Because of democratization, around 140,000 songs are released every day globally on digital streaming platforms. It’s overwhelming — but there are success stories that can serve as inspiration for artists,” he said.

Mr. Fabul likened the Filipino music scene as “a rising tide that lifts all boats,” and said that there is room for diversity.

“Music is cyclical, so certain genres dominate at any given time, but it doesn’t mean the less popular ones disappear. There’s just so many people streaming and now so much control over your preferences that algorithms will feed that to you,” he explained.

TRACKING GROWTH
More proof of the growing digital economy is the growing number of streams. Ms. Ng of Spotify told BusinessWorld that when the platform began in the country, it mainly saw foreign acts on its top 50 chart.

The turning point came in 2017, with the likes of Ben&Ben and Moira Dela Torre leading the charge in increasing local music’s streams. “Now, the majority or 75% of the tracks on Spotify Philippines’ Top 50 chart are local music,” she said.

This year, the reach of Filipino music was legitimized through The Official Philippines Chart, an industry-backed weekly chart that showcases top-performing tracks from local and international artists in the country, many of which are P-pop artists, and a new wave of OPM.

The charts are based on streams across major platforms — Apple Music, Deezer, Spotify, and YouTube — and run by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, with support from the Philippine Recorded Music Rights, Inc. (PRM).

The chart provides “transparency and visibility… with a clear picture of who is resonating with our audiences, who is breaking barriers, and who is truly making waves in the music scene,” explained Roslyn Pineda, Sony Music Entertainment Philippines general manager and PRM board member, at the launch back in February.

The Official Philippines Chart is made publicly available every Tuesday on The Official Southeast Asia Charts website, Instagram, and Facebook channels.

Big names in OPM who have been part of the initial charts so far are Arthur Nery, Cup of Joe, BINI, Dionela, Maki, TJ Monterde, Flow G, Al James, Ben&Ben, and Hev Abi.

“This data is critical; it provides insights that can help us understand the ever-evolving landscape of our industry,” Ms. Pineda added.

FILSCAP’s Mr. Paredes added that the existence of collecting agencies like theirs allows for avenues for musicians to improve. “For example, if your songs are registered with FILSCAP, they can monitor if their compositions are being played, and you get royalties for it,” he said.

Such groups aid with professionalizing fees, organizing songwriting workshops, developing legislation, and increasing representation — though there’s always room for improvement, Mr. Paredes explained.

FILSCAP is able to collect royalties globally due to being part of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), the leading collecting agency and network of authors’ societies representing more than 5 million creators across the world.

STRENGTHENING COPYRIGHT
In the Philippines, Republic Act 8293 governs the intellectual property (IP) system. Under it is the Copyright Law, which protects Filipino creators.

“One unique thing about copyright as an IP is the fact that it vests from the moment of creation,” said Emerson Cuyo, director of the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ (IPOPHL) Bureau of Copyright and Related Rights, at a talk in March on copyright in the Philippines.

“This means there is technically no need to register your copyright over your creation — but there are advantages to registering your work. It is for creatives in jurisdictions like the Philippines where the voluntary system of copyright registration is very lacking,” he explained.

Songwriters and composers can consult legal experts within IPOPHL for guidance with registering any form of IP, to properly monetize it.

“Your creations are assets. They are future sources of revenue, so you have to protect them, said Marivic Benedicto, a lawyer and Philippine Association of the Record Industry president, at the LMP talk in July.

“It only costs P500 to have your copyright in the composition registered with IPOPHL, for reference for third parties like YouTube, for example,” Ms. Benedicto explained.

She added that, with the democratization of music where anyone can upload and promote their songs on the internet, record labels and distributors are no longer necessary. However, they can help with visibility, monetization, and legal matters — as long as artists are empowered to always view contracts with a lawyer.

IPOPHL revealed in February that in 2024, the number of copyright registrations in the Philippines reached its highest level over the last five years.

There were 6,552 certificates issued that year, slightly higher than the 6,522 recorded in 2023. Musical compositions account for 7% of these registrations.

On the ongoing improvements to the process of registration, Mr. Cuyo of IPOPHL shared in a statement: “Some authors require prompt access to their certificates for various purposes, including resolving disputes over content ownership or infringement.”

“Our goal is to accelerate the process and reduce waiting times,” he said.

ON THE IMPACT OF AI
IPOPHL has also been readying guidelines for AI use in creative industries, to ensure copyright protections in the application of AI in various works.

As of now, creative works must be the work of a natural person to be eligible for copyright protection.

“We rely heavily on the disclosure of the applicants,” Mr. Cuyo explained. “What’s for sure is that works that are wholly generated by AI do not pass the requirement for copyright protection under our law. But for partially generated works, that’s where the confusion is, and that’s where guidance will come in.”

However, among musicians themselves, there is a strong resistance to using AI, which is largely seen as an efficiency tool that bypasses the joy of the creative process. Ben&Ben member Miguel Benjamin Guico said at the LMP talk that “AI aims to find a perfect answer to something.”

“I feel like, in songs, the beauty is actually in the imperfection. The way we mispronounce words, the way we phrase things weirdly,” he explained. “No machine can replace that.”

AI-generated music became the subject of heated debate in July when a band named The Velvet Sundown, with about 500,000 monthly subscribers gathered over the course of a month, was revealed to be an AI band.

“The Velvet Sundown is a synthetic music project guided by human creative direction, and composed, voiced, and visualized with the support of artificial intelligence,” said its spokesperson Andrew Frelon in a post online. The generative AI program Suno was used to create the virtual act, complete with consistent songwriting.

For Ms. Mateo of Flip Music Productions, it has been important for them to keep their artists and music “AI-free.”

“It is not because we are anti-tech, but because we are pro-human. Music has been built on stories and identities,” she said at the LMP talk. “I know it is a tool. We do use it for administrative tasks, for the mundane things, for efficiency. But for the process of music creation, I don’t see it being useful for artists who want to really connect.”

Tricia Belamide, a songwriter and FILSCAP board member, added that creators and founders of programs like Suno and Udio “make art a commodity.”

“In their minds, they help people so that making art will no longer be difficult. They think, who wants to suffer? But they miss the whole point, because that’s exactly what we love to do as artists,” she explained, to the cheers and applause of musicians, songwriters, and composers attending the conference.

“If you’re an artist, you enjoy the process of creating.”