Black and white photo of a street musician playing a saxophone on a large wooden bench in an urban setting. A saxophone case is open in front of him with a sign. Bare trees and buildings are in the background.

RECORDED MUSIC INDUSTRY OVERVIEW


Kazakhstan


Map highlighting Central Asia in a blue-green shade on a world map

Asia

Potential Value of Recorded Music

MEDI aims to highlight music’s potential as a global economic asset by estimating its potential value worldwide—factoring in how it could grow if all countries had supportive institutions in place—such as adequate legislation, infrastructure, and policies—and achieved full market penetration. We are currently undertaking data collection towards establishing the potential value of recorded music in each country.


[+] RECORDED MUSIC POTENTIAL VALUEEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon


[+] GROWTH POTENTIALEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon


[+] INDUSTRY BAROMETER/CHANGE POTENTIALEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon

Economic Impact

Over time, MEDI will conduct country-level economic impact studies to better understand how to unlock sustainable growth within national music ecosystems.


[+] DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACTEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon


[+] INDIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACTEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon


[+] INDUCED ECONOMIC IMPACTEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon


[+] JOBS CREATED BY MUSICEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon


[+] VALUE OF MUSIC EXPORTSEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon


[+] MUSIC EXPORT POTENTIALEXPLANATORY NOTES: TBC

Coming soon

Socioeconomic Indicators


[+] POPULATION2024 estimate


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via UN Population Fund (UNFPA). Accessed 24/10/2024. 2024 estimate based on UNFPA World Population Prospects 2022 data.

19,828,165


[+] GDP PPPmillions, 2023 data, using constant 2021 international $


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via World Bank Development Indicators database. Accessed 24/10/2024.

$705,520


[+] GDP PER CAPITA (nominal)2023 data, USD


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via World Bank, using national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files. Accessed 02/04/2025.

$12,918.90


5.10%

[+] GDP GROWTH (annual %)2023 data


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via World Bank, using national accounts data, and OECD National Accounts data files. Accessed 01/04/2025.

[+] GINI INDEX2021 data


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Accessed 19/09/2024.

29.20%


[+] INFLATION RATEAnnual % change, 2025 data


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via IMF World Economic Outlook. Accessed 01/04/2025.

7.20%


Pie chart with three segments: "0-20" at 36.4%, "21-40" at 28.0%, and "41+" at 35.6%. Each section has a different shade of green.
[+] POPULATION BY AGE GROUP%, 2024 data


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via US Census Bureau International Database (IDB). Accessed 01/04/2025.

[+] URBAN POPULATION%, 2023 data


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via World Bank, using United Nations Population Division database. Accessed 24/10/2024.

58.18%


[+] UNEMPLOYMENT RATE2023 estimate


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via CIA World Factbook. Accessed 04/11/2024.

4.85%


[+] YOUTH UNEMPLOYMENT RATE2023 estimate


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via CIA World Factbook. Accessed 04/11/2024.

3.80%


[+] POVERTY RATE2021 data


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Poverty rate at $2.15 a day (2017 PPP) (% population). Data via Poverty and Inequality Platform, The World Bank. Accessed 16/04/2025.

0.02%


[+] INTERNET PENETRATIONITU estimate, 2023


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via International Telecommunication Union (ITU) DataHub. Accessed 31/03/2025.

92.90%


[+] MOBILE MONEY ACCOUNT USAGEThe percentage of respondents who report personally using a mobile money service in the past year, % age 15+, N/A


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via World Bank Global Financial Inclusion Database. Accessed 01/04/2025.

N/A


[+] CREDIT CARD OWNERSHIPThe percentage of respondents who report having a credit card, % age 15+, 2021 data


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via World Bank Global Financial Inclusion Database. Accessed 01/04/2025.

20.90%


[+] MOBILE DATA COSTAverage price of 1GB data, USD, 2023 data


EXPLANATORY NOTES: Data via Cable.co.uk. Accessed 01/10/2024.

$0.41

Industry Infrastructure

Collective Management Organisations


Authors & Publishers

[+] EXPLANATORY NOTESRepresents collective management organizations covering mechanical and performance rights for musical compositions.

Performers

[+] EXPLANATORY NOTES Represents collective management organizations covering neighbouring/related rights for performers.

Producers

[+] EXPLANATORY NOTESRepresents collective management organizations covering neighbouring/related rights for producers.

Voluntary Joint Ventures & Umbrella entities for licensing users

None

[+] EXPLANATORY NOTESRepresents joint ventures and umbrella entities that exist to help streamline and manage licensing, often working to create efficiencies around licensing specific rights. For example, PPL PRS Ltd. is a JV between the UK’s two music licensing organisations – PPL and PRS for Music, that provides a streamlined music licensing service that allows businesses to obtain all the licenses necessary to play and perform music in public via a single point of contact.

Associations


Music Authors

None


Music Publishers

None


Music Performers


Sound Recording Producers/Labels

None


Other

None


Music Export Office

None


Joint Industry Body


Policies


Culture Policy/Strategy


Music Policy/Strategy

None

Legal Framework

Digital and Performance Rights Treaties

Other Treaties


National Copyright Legislation

National Treatment

  • Kazakhstan protects authors of works published in Kazakhstan regardless of the nationality of the author, works published in any member country of the treaty that Kazakhstan is a party (unless these works in the public domain in the other country) and first published outside Kazakhstan and simultaneously published in Kazakhstan within 30 days.

    Qualifying foreign authors enjoy copyright protection in Kazakhstan concerning performance rights and digital exploitation of their works.

  • Kazakhstan protects performers whose performance takes place in Kazakhstan, fixed performance is recorded in the protected phonogram or performance is included in the protected broadcast. Phonograms are protected if they are first published outside Kazakhstan and simultaneously published in Kazakhstan within 30 days. Kazakhstan grants protection to performers and producers of phonograms who are nationals or legal entities of a member country of treaties that Kazakhstan is a party (unless these objects are in the public domain).

    Qualifying foreign performers and producers of phonograms enjoy protection in Kazakhstan concerning performance rights and digital exploitation of their fixed performances and phonograms respectively.

  • “National Treatment” refers to the assimilation of the treatment of foreign right holders to that of domestic right holders. It is a basic rule of most international conventions and mandates that foreign rights holders from contracting countries must receive the protection within any other contracting country as that country grants to its own nationals, ensuring equal rights under the scope of the relevant convention.

    General national treatment obligations are set out in Article 5 of the Berne Convention and Article 2 of the Rome Convention, providing that the members of respective conventions must grant to each other’s nationals the rights provided in the convention. Berne Convention also extends the national treatment to “the rights which their respective laws do now or may hereafter grant to their nationals,” while Rome Convention members are not obliged to extend national treatment to the rights of performers and producers of phonograms which are accorded under their national law over and above the rights enshrined in the Rome Convention.

    The criteria for eligibility for protection are provided in Article 3 of the Berne Convention and Articles 4 and 5 of the Rome Convention. With regards to national treatment of producers of phonograms, members of the Rome Convention may reserve the right not to apply either the criterion of fixation or that of publication of the phonogram.

    As per WIPO, the total number of members to the key treaties above is as follows:

    Berne Convention: 181 Members
    Rome Convention: 98 Members
    WIPO Copyright Treaty: 118 Members
    WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty: 114 Members
    TRIPS Agreement: 166 Members

    This is a high-level overview concerning national treatment of music authors, performers and producers of phonograms; for comprehensive and detailed provisions, refer to the laws of each country. The overview:

    1) details only the criteria applicable to foreign rights holders, without including the broader set of qualification rules for domestic protection that do not concern them,

    2) is limited to performance rights and digital exploitation of recorded music, including works and other protected objects:

    - “Performance rights” include radio and TV broadcasting, public performance, and communication to the public,

    - “Digital exploitation” includes reproduction rights, distribution rights, communication to the public and making available rights.

    The term "based on reciprocity" used in the overview for some countries means that Country A will protect the works of authors or other right holders who are nationals of Country B that is not a member of treaties Country A is a party to, and whose works or other protected objects were first published outside of Country A, only if Country B offer similar copyright protection to Country A’s authors or other rights holders and works and other protected objects respectively first published in Country A.

    The term "treaty" in the overview includes conventions and international agreements.

Music Consumption

Domestic Repertoire Quotas


[+] EXPLANATORY NOTESDomestic Repertoire Quota(s) referes to legislation and/or policies which require broadcasters to dedicate a specific % of music broadcast content to domestic/local/national artists.

Yes

There is a domestic repertoire quota for radio stations, requiring that they broadcast at least 50% musical works of "Kazakhstani authors or performers" in their weekly broadcast time.

The full text of the quota may be found in Article 28 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan No. 545-IV of January 18, 2012, on TV and Radio Broadcasting (as amended up to Law No. 215-VI of January 8, 2019).

Digital Streaming Services


GLOBAL STREAMING SERVICES


REGIONAL STREAMING SERVICES


DOMESTIC STREAMING SERVICES

Key Risks and Opportunities

Risks

  • A relatively high Inflation rate (7.2%) could impact consumer purchasing power, limiting their ability to spend on non-essential goods and services.

  • The presence of multiple collective management organisations creates a risk of a fragmented rights management landscape. This could lead to confusion for licensees, increased transaction costs in securing necessary rights, and potential difficulties in ensuring fair and efficient royalty distribution to rights holders.

Opportunities

  • A large, growing population, coupled with relatively high GDP per capita, very low poverty levels and high internet penetration, creates a robust and expanding market with high potential for digital music consumption.

  • The legal framework for intellectual property, strengthened by accession to key international treaties, provides a solid foundation for protecting music-related rights. However, collective management regulation remains underdeveloped and requires improvement.

  • Availability of global, regional, and domestic streaming services provides multiple avenues for music distribution and consumption, catering to a wide range of preferences.