Survey: mandatory music quotas could push a fifth of radio listeners away
A survey shows that introducing a 30% quota for Latvian-made music on commercial radio would cause 23% of listeners to stop listening or switch to other sources. Most of them would head to YouTube or streaming platforms.
Introducing mandatory quotas for Latvian-made music on commercial radio stations could push nearly a quarter of listeners to stop listening to radio altogether or seek content elsewhere. That's according to a survey by research and consulting firm Fifty5Blue, commissioned by the Latvian Association of Broadcasting Organizations (LRA).
Where listeners would go
The survey found that among listeners who would switch to other content if a 30% quota were introduced, 54% named YouTube, 44% named music streaming platforms, and 36% named internet radio as their likely alternative.
Listener attitudes
A majority of respondents — 69% — believe Latvian-made music is already sufficiently represented on the radio airwaves. Only 26% of listeners support the mandatory quota, while 49% oppose it. The LRA argues that changing the music ratio is not merely a technical requirement, since it could directly affect the part of programming that draws listeners to a particular station in the first place — music was cited by 47% of respondents as one of the main reasons they listen to radio.
Rollout timeline
Under amendments to the Electronic Mass Media Law submitted for public consultation in June 2026, the quota for locally produced music would be phased in gradually: 10% from January 1, 2028, 20% from 2029, and the full 30% from 2030. The bill's explanatory note projects that once the full quota takes effect, additional royalties paid to Latvian authors and performers combined would rise to roughly 208,500 euros a year, while Latvia's radio advertising market is valued at around 12 million euros annually.
The survey was conducted from August 21 to September 1 this year among 1,890 Latvian residents aged 16 to 74, carried out online in either Latvian or Russian based on respondents' preference. Of those surveyed, 1,399 listen to radio at least once a week. A working group to increase the share of Latvian-made music on radio stations was formed in February this year.
