Imro hit record €57m revenue but warn AI now 'existential threat'

Body representing music creatives has increased membership to 33,000 and distributed €48m in royalties

Imro directors, musician Eleanor McEvoy and musician and broadcaster Tom Dunne. Imro said on Wednesday it had record revenue of €57.1m in 2025. Picture: Marc O'Sullivan

Artificial Intelligence now represents an "existential threat" to Ireland's music creators, industry representative body the Irish Music Rights Organisation (Imro) warned, despite achieving record revenue of €57.1m. 

Imro collects and distributes royalties from public performances to Irish music creatives, including songwriters, composers, and music publishers. Public performances include live, broadcast, and digital performance.

Publishing its annual accounts on Wednesday, Imro said revenue had increased 8%, from €53m to €57.1m in 2025, resulting in €48.4m being distributed to its members.  

Imro's membership stands at 33,000 music creators in 100 territories worldwide following the admission of 5,139 new members over the year. However, new technological developments present a serious concern for creators, Imro chair, broadcaster, and musician Tom Dunne said.

"The threat posed by Generative AI remains an existential one. Imro has been proactive in this space, working with our partners to prevent unauthorised AI training on Imro repertoire and to ensure that if members permit the use of their works, they are remunerated fairly," said Mr Dunne. "It is vital to not only protect copyright from AI but to also be ready to help our members harness any potential opportunities the emerging technology may present."

Imro chief executive Victor Finn said the organisation is awaiting the first results of a series of court cases in Europe around the unauthorised use of copyrighted music by AI platforms. "The full implementation of the AI Act, with prior approval, opt-out options for copyright holders, and full transparency and fair payment, is a key requirement for a fully functioning licensing market," said Mr Finn. 

"We are seeing the first tentative licensing agreements for AI companies to use copyrighted music. It is important to establish fair licensing, protect the complete value of creative works, and maintain transparency in licensing agreements for everyone involved. We are engaging with our government, the EU Parliament and Commission to ensure an orderly, fair marketplace evolves."

Royalty payments to Imro members and affiliates of €48.4m included €11.4m from broadcast, €11m from live performance, €3.4m from background music, €3.2m from online use, and €746,000 from cinema use. 

Imro international revenues jumped 15% to €20m, "reflecting the growing global success of Irish repertoire and the increasing importance of overseas markets to Irish creators", Imro said. The international revenue included €7m in multi-territorial revenue, which grew 10%, driven by growth from major digital platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

"As consumption patterns continue to shift towards streaming and on-demand platforms, multi-territorial licensing provides a scalable and future-focused mechanism to capture value across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously," the report said.

Domestic online revenue rose by 13% to €3.7m, supported by continued strong demand from leading video-on-demand services such as Netflix, Amazon, NOW TV, and Disney.

There was sustained demand for music across licensed sectors. Public performance revenues increased by 8% to €22.4m, while broadcast revenues rose to €10.9m.

"Ireland continues to outperform its scale, with Irish music finding audiences across every corner of the globe. At the same time, our domestic market remains resilient, supported by a vibrant live music culture and strong demand for music across broadcast and digital platforms," said  Mr Finn.

Imro had 67 employees over the year (excluding non-executive directors),  all working in administration. Employment costs over the year totalled €5.09m. 

The report said directors' fees in 2025 were Rose McHugh €32,000; Eleanor McEvoy €86,897; Mick Hanly €15,000;  Juliet Martin  €15,000; Ray Harman €15,000; Sharon Boyse Smith  €15,000; Roisin O’Reilly  €8,250; Bill Shanley  €15,000; Ian Hennessy €15,000; Clare Duignan €32,000; Faye O’ Rourke €15,000; Tom Dunne €15,000; Rory McPartland  €8,250; Malin Jonsson €32,000, and Ed Condon €15,000.  

Imro said its Ireland: Music Report 2025 found that music contributes €1bn annually to the Irish economy, with Irish consumers spending almost €1,000 each per year on music-related products.