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30.03.12 MusicWeek 21
POLES APART
Having spent time in isolation, Poland’s music industry is now looking for more integration with its neighbours in a bid to fulfil its market potential
INTERNATIONAL BY TOM PAKINKIS
W
hile the rest of Europe wallows under the grey cloud of fiscal uncertainty, the Polish economy has actually had the nerve to
show signs of growth. It is perhaps one of the benefits of being a
country that hasn’t always been quite so integrated with its neighbours. But, as it bucks one trend, Poland finds itself falling into line with others. As the IFPI explains (see page 22), piracy is rife in the country and, in this case, the presence of digital services hasn’t yet reached a point where it can offer an effective solution, despite significant growth. It’s an issue that players right across the Polish
music industry seem all too aware of. “The Polish market is still awaiting the great digital revolution,” Monika Kaminska, MD of Magic Records, tells Music Week. “The challenge is to adjust the market to new ways of distributing and selling music. The main sources at the moment are services operated by telcos, although iTunes was successfully implemented in the Polish market in October last year. “Physical sales are still doing well but Polish
people love to watch internet music channels and they give us great promotion opportunities,” she adds. “The feedback from the implementation of iTunes in Poland has been great. It proves there is an enormous digital sale potential.” Universal Music Polska MD Jan Kubicki agrees
that encouraging the launch of big-name streaming services like Spotify is the main challenge faced by the Polish music industry currently. “The lack of available streaming or download services often redirects potential customers to illegal
PICTURED Warsaw Village Band: Kapela Ze Wsi Warszawa, one-time winners of the Newcomer gong at the BBC Radio 3 Awards for World Music
services,” he suggests. “Universal plays a leading role in developing new routes of sale and often initiates lots of new action and campaigns. “We are expecting at least four streaming
services to launch in 2012. Two of them will be local, which will strongly support local artists and catalogue,” he adds. Although noting the arrival of Deezer in Poland
as a step forward, MD of the Polish Society Of The Phonographic Industry (ZPAV) Marek Staszewski
BELOW Some of Poland’s industry insiders: From left – Jan Kubicki (Universal Music Polska), Monika Kaminska (Magic Records) and Artur Rojek (OFF Festival)
ABOVE
Gdansk’s finest: While on opposite ends of the musical spectrum, death metal act Behemoth (left) and jazz pianist Leszek Mozdzer (right) are seeking more international exposure
says, “Partnerships need to be established with telecoms and ISPs to enhance the development of new music distribution models and help curb wide- spread internet piracy. “Another challenge comes in creating better
market conditions for the growth of local repertoire and new talent,” he adds. However, Staszewski notes that progress is being made in this area as well: “This was initiated last year with the introduction of a new system of broadcasting quotas in local legislation.” Universal’s Kubicki comments: “The market
of local artists is developing dynamically. Regulations defining the rules of airing Polish songs on radios has led to interest in Polish music noticeably increasing.” The Polish charts are still largely dominated by
international artists, however, something which can be seen in the fact that Katie Melua’s Secret Symphony took the No.1 spot in its first week in the country. “I always feel, upon landing at Warsaw’s sparkly
new airport, that there is an air of optimism about the place compared to many other European cities currently having economic woes,” says Andrew Bowles, MD of Melua’s label Dramatico. “The Poles are experiencing economic growth, which in turn appears to have a knock-on effect on the music and entertainment industries. “Retail prices are slightly higher than in the UK
for chart product and marketing costs are less,” he explains. “It’s an excellent place to do business these days. “But being successful in the UK doesn’t mean
you’re going to be successful in Poland,” Bowles warns, making the case for hard work and an understanding of the market.
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