Roadmap to Norway
Norway’s domestic music market has gained international attention over the last few years, as it has made the successful transition to a nearly total digital marketplace. Get to know the Norwegian music industry!
Written by Tina Brodal,
Norway’s domestic music market has gained international attention over the last few years, as it has made the successful transition to a nearly total digital marketplace. In 2012, revenues from downloads and streaming services surpassed for the first time in history physical revenues. The music industry in 2022 has returned to a level consistent with the pre-pandemic trend. Between 2012 and 2019, the industry experienced an annual growth rate of around 5 percent, before dropping by 35 percent in 2020 and an additional 4 percent in 2021. Revenues in 2022 show a growth of 89 percent compared to the previous year and 18 percent compared to 2019. Revenues of 6.8 billion NOK represent a level that still indicates an annual growth rate of 5 percent since 2012.
Official name: Kongeriket Norge / Kingdom of Norway
Population : 5 571 634 (2024)
Capital : Oslo, 714 322 (2024)
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- Bergen, 272 125
- Trondheim, 198 777
- Stavanger, 138 324
- Drammen, 95 770
- Tromsø, 78 892
- Fredrikstad, 71 296
- Kristiansand, 67 372
Country code : +47
Timezone : UTC+1, UTC+2 (summer)
Official language : Norwegian (bokmål, nynorsk), Sami (north-, south- and lulesami)
Valuta : Norwegian kroner (NOK)
BNP per person : 86 492 USD
How many social media users?
- Facebook 82%
- Snapchat 67%
- Instagram 66%
- Youtube 64%
- TikTok 29%
(Source: Ipsos 2024)
Active internet users : 98%
Active smartphone users : 95%
Music business revenue : 623 mill USD (Rambøll, 2022)
Live
366 mill USD
Recorded music
117 mill USD
Rights
99 mill USD
Export
41 mill USD
Media
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TV broadcasting is dominated by public broadcaster NRK – the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation which has a market share of 39 per cent (2014) with its three channels (NRK1, NRK2 and NRK3/NRKSuper). Trailing behind is commercial broadcaster TV2 with a market share of 28,7% with its five channels. TV Norge is third on the list with its 8,1% share of the market.
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NRK is also dominant on the radio waves. On average, the public broadcaster had a listener base of 69 per cent of the total population in 2016. Coming in on second is the commercial station P4 which has a 18 per cent stake in the market while Radio Norge is third with its 8%.
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- National Rap Show
- Atlantis
- Bluesasylet
- Spillerom (Classical/Contemporary)
- Jazzklubben (Jazz)
- Musikkreisen (folk/traditional/world)
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A quartet of music-specific sites that focus on album reviews, festival reports, artist interviews and live reviews:
- 730.no
- Gaffa
- YLTV
- Musikknyheter.no
- Lydgalleriet (contemporary/classical)
- ballade.no (industry news/reviews)
- Klassisk musikk (contemporary/classical)
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Akersgata, the Norwegian equivalent to Fleet Street, encompasses several dailies that feature album reviews, festival reports and, to some extent, artist inteviews:
A string of niche-oriented, high-quality music magazines have a loyal user base in Norway and cover their respective genres thoroughly:
- Jazznytt (Jazz)
- Scream Magazine (metal, hardcore)
- Metal Hammer (metal, hardcore)
- Blues News (blues)
Live
Concerts make up almost two-thirds of the music industry's revenue in Norway and is also the revenue category with the highest growth, if we exclude the two pandemic years. The total revenue from concerts in Norway is estimated to be 4 billion NOK in 2022. This represents an increase of 310 percent compared to 2021 and 24 percent compared to 2019. Since 2012, this has represented an annual growth of 8 percent, compared to 2 percent for the industry's other revenue sources.
Below is a selection of each genre’s main events:
Festivals & networking
Festivals
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- Øya Festival (+professional delegate program)
- Bergenfest
- Stavernfestivalen
- Palmesus
- Findings
- Utopia
- Kadetten
- Mablis
- Bukta
- Pstereo
- Tons of Rock (+professional delegate program)
- Notodden Blues Festival
- Inferno Metal Festival (+professional delegate program)
- Ruller hardt
Conferences & festivals with professional delegate programs:
- by:Larm (Oslo)
- Vill Vill Vest (Bergen)
- Trondheim Calling (Trondheim)
- Sørveiv (Kristiansand)
If you want to know more about the international delegate programs for music industry & press, contact Karoline.
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Most of these festivals also host international delegate programs for music industry & press, contact André if you want to know more.
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These festivals also host international delegate programs for music industry & press, contact André if you want to know more.
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- Bergen International Festival (+professional delegate program)
- ICMF International Chamber Music Festival Stavanger
- Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival (+professional delegate program)
- Oslo Chamber Music Festival
- St. Olav Festival
- Oslo International Church Music Festival
- Borealis (+professional delegate program)
- Risør Chamber Music Festival
- Festival of North Norway
- Trondheim Chamber Music Festival
If you want to know more about the international delegate programs for music industry & press, contact Kaja.
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Music Norway work closely with festivals in many different genres to host international delegate programs
Oslo’s by:Larm is widely regarded as one of the Nordic music scene’s premier networking arenas and showcasing festivals. The event is staged annually mid-September in Oslo and features a wealth of showcases with Nordic bands and performers, seminars, meeting arenas and creative networking sessions.
Øya International is the Oslo festival’s program for its foreign delegates and offers a tailored package for the participants with exclusive concerts, networking sessions and social events.
Folkelarm is the Norwegian folk/trad/world music scene’s premier meeting point and showcasing festival. Held at Oslo’s Riksscenen – the Norwegian Hub for Traditional Music and Dance, the showcase festival also features seminars and networking arenas for domestic as well as international folk music execs.
The Norwegian contemporary music scene’s main festival is without doubt Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival. The festival also features a tailored program for its invited foreign delegates.
Vill Vill Vest is a music festival showcasing Norwegian artists at Bergen's most established venues. In addition to the concerts, the music organization Brak presents an extensive seminar program for promoters, artists and the music industry.
Trondheim Calling is an annual music conference and music festival situated smack in the middle of Norway.
Venues
A selection of the main venues of Norway’s seven largest cities:
Orchestras, operas, concert halls & Cultural Houses
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Norway’s five largest cities sport a symphony orchestra of their own with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra fronting a strong sector that is active at home and abroad:
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In addition to the established conventional concert halls in the country’s main cities, Norway has app. 115 publicly funded cultural houses in cities and municipalities throughout the country.
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An overview of Norway’s Cultural Houses, sorted county-wise can be found here:
Booking agents
Record Industry
Music streaming accounts for 90 percent of the recorded music revenue in Norway, nearly 1.2 billion NOK. By comparison, streaming made up only 46 percent of the revenue in 2012, with a turnover of 430 million NOK. Since then, this category has seen an annual growth rate of 12 percent and has more than doubled over the past ten years.
Record labels & distribution
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The Norwegian independent record label sector is represented by Fono – the Norwegian Independent Record Producers Association.
- Tylden
- Grappa
- KKV
- Rune Grammfon
- Smalltown Supersound
- Indie Recordings
- Fysisk Format
- Jansen Plateproduksjon
- Hubro
- Sofa Music
- Full Pupp
- Sellout
- Petroleum Records
- Brilliance
- Riot Factory
- Aurora (contemporary/classical)
- Simax (contemporary/classical)
- LAWO (contemporary/classical)
- Karisma/Dark Essence
- Propeller Recordings
- daWork
- Oslo Records
- Playground Music Norway
- MTG Music
- Full Effekt Records
- Vibbefanger Records
- Eget Selskap
- 2L
PR-agencies
Publishing
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Norway’s publishing sector is relatively small but still highly active. Total copyright revenues in the Norwegian music industry have been very stable since 2012, with only small changes from year to year. 2022 represents the highest revenue since 2012, estimated at 1.1 billion NOK. This is an increase of 3 percent from 2021, representing an annual growth rate of 1 percent since 2012. The publishing sector is represented by its interest organisation Musikkforleggerne – the Norwegian Music Publishers’ Association.
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• SONG:EXPO : The co-writing camp is held annually in late January and attracts international song writers, A&Rs and publishers which are teamed up with domestic writers to create a vibrant meeting point in which leads are provided and songs pitched for markets in the US, Germany, UK and Asia.
• Song Farm was founded in 2010 by Hilde Wahl and Jørn Dalchow who for many years has been part of the Norwegian music industry. The aim of Song Farm is to establish events and venues where Norwegian and international songwriters can meet, write new songs, build networks and get new knowledge. Song Farm is also co-hosting in partnership with Ontrack Studio, a professional camp called «Out Of The Woods» . This Camp is twice a year, in April and September.
• by:Songs takes place in Sandvika and Asker outside Oslo the days before by:Larm conference and music festival.
• Bergen Songs by Brak is an annual songwriting camp that was held for the first time in April 2016. Bergen Songs is an arena where new and established songwriters and producers develop their skill and networks for future expansion of their career.
• Out of the Woods Songwriting Camp have consistently developed unique songwriting camps for new and established Nordic, Scandinavian and international songwriters. The songwriting camps are genre or stylistically specific and offer experienced and developing writers the opportunity to make incredible music and build long lasting connections, networks and careers within the industry.
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The Norwegian Music Publishers Association has around 50 members.
Performing Rights/collecting societies
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Tono is Norway’s Performing Rights Society and represents more than 22 000 Norwegian rights holders.
Administration of mechanical rights on the Norwegian market is administered by NCB – Nordic Copyright Bureau.
Gramo is the joint collection society in Norway for musicians, performing artists and phonogram producers. Gramo manages and administers the right of performers and producers to receive remuneration when recorded music is being played on the airways or in other public arenas.
Studios
