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Trade in music and movies shows decline in digital age, but India moves into top ten cultural exporters
New Delhi, 24 March: Although trade in cultural goods doubled during the period 2004-2013 despite a global recession, there was a decline in both music and movies because of the massive shift among consumers towards web-based services.
Trade in recorded music products, for example, declined by 27 percent from 2004 to 2013, and trade in movies fell by 88 percent during the same period; however, audio-visual services as a whole steadily gained ground.
Despite the downturn in the trade of print products, reflected by the decline in newspapers, books held their ground as an important cultural export in some regions, growing by 20 percent from 2004 to 2013.
A new report from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), The Globalisation of Cultural Trade: A Shift in Cultural Consumption–International flows of cultural goods and services 2004-2013, takes an in-depth look at the export and import of cultural goods and services around the world.
“Trade in cultural goods totaled $US212.8 billion in 2013, nearly double the amount in 2004,” said UIS Director Silvia Montoya. “This is further evidence of the critical role cultural industries play in today’s global economy.”
However, India and Turkey moved into the top ten countries among emerging markets and exporters of cultural goods.
From 2004 to 2013 the “dematerialisation”, or the digitisation of products, such as music, movies and newspapers, had an enormous impact on these industries, as their products moved into the realm of cultural services, often sold as web-based subscriptions.
As more and more cultural goods move from the tangible to the digital, the report notes that obtaining accurate data on the flow of these goods is becoming more challenging. Finding new sources of data and cooperation between international organizations in the promotion and improvement of cultural trade statistics, especially in the developing world, will help improve the understanding of the real contribution of the trade in cultural goodsto the global economy.
China is now the lead exporter of cultural goods, followed by the United States. In 2013, the total value of China’s cultural exports was US$60.1 billion; more than double that of the United States at US$27.9 billion.
While the US has lost its position as the top exporter of cultural goods, it remains the top importer of these goods. In general, developed countries play a smaller role in cultural exports, but still dominate imports.
Art and crafts have moved up in the ranking of the ten most traded cultural goods, fueled by gold jewelry — a safe harbour in uncertain times.Gold jewelry exports represented more than $US100 billion in 2013.
Statues, statuettes and paintings also gained ground. Their share of the trade in art and crafts was worth US$19 billion in 2013.
Hindi
MIFF 2026 to return to Mumbai; film entries open till April 12
19th edition to host WAVES Doc Bazaar, spotlighting global documentary talent
MUMBAI: The 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival 2026 is set to take place from June 15 to 21 at the NFDC Complex, with film submissions currently open and the deadline fast approaching on April 12.
Organised by the National Film Development Corporation under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the biennial festival remains one of South Asia’s most prominent platforms for documentary, short fiction and animation films.
Filmmakers, producers and content creators from across the globe have been invited to submit entries via the Film Freeway platform for the Competition Section. Offline submissions will not be accepted, reinforcing a fully digital entry process.
MIFF 2026 continues to sweeten the deal with a robust awards pool of Rs 55 lakh. The coveted Golden Conch for Best Documentary carries a top prize of Rs 10 lakh, alongside multiple awards across categories, making it one of the most lucrative non-feature film festivals in the region.
A key highlight this year will be the second edition of the WAVES Doc Bazaar, scheduled from June 16 to 18 alongside the festival. Designed as a hub for collaboration, the Doc Bazaar will feature a co-production market, viewing rooms and a work-in-progress lab, bringing together global buyers, sellers and creators under one roof.
Since its inception in 1990, MIFF has built a reputation as a serious showcase for non-feature cinema, drawing participation from filmmakers worldwide. The previous edition saw over 350 films from more than 30 countries, underlining its growing international footprint.
With submissions closing soon and preparations underway, MIFF 2026 is shaping up to be a vibrant meeting point for storytelling, collaboration and cinematic craft, offering filmmakers both a stage and a springboard.
