Poland has undoubtedly been an economic success story of the last two decades – this year it has edged past Switzerland to become the world’s 20th largest economy, and is the 16th biggest music market globally.
“Poland isn’t just growing; it’s maturing,” says Bartosz Szwoch, CFO, Warner Music Poland. “Following a landmark year in 2024, the momentum has continued because the fan’s relationship with music has changed – paid streaming is becoming the standard, not the exception.
The country’s top 10 songs were dominated by hip hop, with songs from artists such as Pezet, Sobel, Miü, Mata and Warsaw hip hop trio EKIPA, who Łobaczewska names as one of the most important acts in Poland at the moment.
“Hip-hop is the absolute king of the Polish market, generating as much as half of its value,” Patrycja Łobaczewska, LAS director of Eastern Europe, for Believe. “What’s more, it shows no signs of slowing down. Pop is in second place, while dance / electronica is currently the strongest growth trend.”
“Poland is primarily a music importer, as language barriers and highly localised lyrics make international expansion difficult,” added Łobaczewska. “However, the trend is shifting thanks to viral hits and niche successes in the electronic and alternative scenes.”
“A great example of this growing international reach is Jann, a Polish artist who has successfully broken through in Europe, giving concerts in large halls of the largest European cities.”
But for the most part, since Polish artists are known to be able to make a pretty good living domestically touring in Poland, and radio stations in Poland must play 33% Polish-language music, there is not much reason for many artists to branch out into English-speaking markets – which Music Export Poland seeks to address through songwriting and sync camps to help nudge exports.
While TV in Poland for music discovery is largely irrelevant, radio stations like RMF FM, Radio ZET and Radio Eska are still powerful. Warsaw is big for hip-hop, whereas Krakow, Katowice and Wrocław are developing electronic, indie and alternative music, and Poznań dominates the club scene.
The country’s festival scene is dispersed over the region, with notable ones including Open’er Festival in Gdynia, OFF Festival in Katowice, Orange Warsaw and Mystic Festival in Gdańsk. The country is not especially well-served for music venues, however, especially for middle-sized 10-20k capacity shows.
Selling international acts to Poland may not be the easiest thing, but “We’re generally pragmatic, slightly skeptical of ‘over-the-top’ corporate fluff and highly value authenticity,” Bartosz Szwoch, CFO, Warner Music Poland explains. “Localised, Polish-language campaigns with authenticity at their heart are the way to go.”
How to break in Poland?
Bypass the missing middle. For mid-sized acts, artist teams should look outside the capital to cities like Łódź, which features the 10k-capacity Atlas Arena, which frequently hosts major acts like A$AP Rocky. Wrocław, Gdańsk, and Katowice are also good tour stops.
Take advantage of airplay. Polish radio airplay is heavily skewed towards pop and global acts, so this is a good way to break in as an international pop artist. Conversely, Polish hip-hop thrives almost exclusively on streaming and digital platforms.
