In the year of review, 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012, Singapore’s media sector was marked by a vibrancy that produced globally-competitive content across films, TV, animation, music, games, books and interactive media.

Singapore-made media content continued to engage local and international audiences, while a number of the world’s best media houses and agencies have found the country an ideal place to develop quality content, manpower and jobs.

The various subsectors in the local media industry took important steps forward by moving from being contractors for hire to co-owners of original, award-winning content, facilitated by a revamp of grant schemes.

The revamp, which streamlined 46 schemes to just five, boosted the development of local talent and ideas, while helping to showcase and export Singapore content. It also boosted the training and upskilling of media professionals; in all, contributing to the development of a world-class cluster.

In 2010, based on Singapore’s Economic Development Board and Department of Statistics’ preliminary data, the media sector³ contributed $6.6 billion⁴ in nominal value-added (VA), an increase of 4.8 per cent from 2009. Employment in the media sector grew 4.4 per cent to reach 68,300, while nominal value-added per worker increased by 0.4 per cent to $96,600.

³ The media sector comprises seven subsectors, namely, Film and Video (including Animation), Broadcasting, Publishing, Printing, Music, Online Media and Games and Software.
⁴ Source: The Economic Development Board (EDB) and the Department of Statistics (DOS).