Representatives of the music industry in Latvia demand in an open letter to the Saeima to increase the share of Latvian music on commercial radio stations by establishing appropriate quotas.
Industry representatives claim that songs in Latvian and local artists are in the minority on the radio. The airwaves are dominated by music from Russia, the USA, and other countries.
"This situation is not a result of a free market — it is a structural imbalance that harms the economy of Latvia, the cultural environment, and the security of the state," say musicians who are not in demand on the radio.
The letter states that the radio airwaves are a limited state resource, the right to use which is granted by the state through a license.
Data from the Latvian Association of Performers and Producers (LaIPA) for 2024 shows that out of 42 analyzed commercial radio stations, the share of Latvian music does not exceed 15% in the vast majority, while the average figure for the sector is only 19%.
The letter also contains the opinion that in Latvia, where part of society lives in a multilingual media environment, the presence of the Latvian language and the culture created in the country on the air has strategic significance. According to industry representatives, the situation where foreign content dominates is an aspect of information security.
What Money Do They Want to Share
The letter explains that each time a commercial radio station broadcasts a song by a foreign author, rewards are received by foreign authors, performers, and record companies. According to the Copyright and Communication Consultations Agency (AKKA/LAA), from 2022 to 2024, Latvian music creators receive less than a quarter of the total amount of copyright rewards in the commercial radio sector.
Industry representatives point out that LaIPA's income from neighboring rights for the public performance of music recordings, as well as their broadcasting on radio and television, is increasing — from €105,367 in 2003 to €4.02 million in 2025.
The letter is signed by "Latvijas Mūzikas attīstības biedrība/Latvijas Mūzikas eksports", LaIPA, AKKA/LAA, and the Association of Self-Employed Musicians, as well as Latvian musicians, composers, lyricists, and producers.
