Valuing live music: The UK Live Music Census 2017 report Emma Webster, Matt Brennan, Adam Behr and Martin Cloonan with Jake Ansell February 2018 Version 1.1. updated 28 Feb 2018 Contents Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 Key findings ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3 Context ......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Economic methodology ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 14 Chapter 1: The economic value of live music ..................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 2: The social and cultural value of live music ............................................................................................................................................... 28 Chapter 3: More than just music .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 32 Chapter 4: Valuing spaces for live music ............................................................................................................................................................................. 43 Chapter 5: Valuing smaller spaces for live music ........................................................................................................................................................... 49 Chapter 6: Challenges within the sector .............................................................................................................................................................................. 57 Chapter 7: Suggestions from respondents to the venue and promoter surveys as to how the government could improve the live music scene ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 82 Chapter 8: Snapshots of live music census cities ......................................................................................................................................................... 85 Conclusions and recommendations ................................................................................................................................................................................... 102 Collated list of recommendations ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 106 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 108 About the authors ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 109 About Live Music Exchange ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������ 109 Appendix 1: Characteristics of the sample ........................................................................................................................................................................ 110 Appendix 2: Definitions ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 115 Appendix 3: List of focus group participants .................................................................................................................................................................... 117 Appendix 4: List of profile interviewees .............................................................................................................................................................................. 118 References .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 119 Endnotes ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 127 Figures Figure 1: Musicians and membership ...................................... 18 Figure 20: Accessibility initiatives of respondents to the venue survey ............................................................................................ 41 Figure 2: Gender balance across different types of musician ...................................................................................................... 19 Figure 21: Significant venues named by respondents to the audience survey ........................................................................... 42 Figure 3: Median earnings per gig for professional/ semi-professional respondents to the musician survey Figure 22: Significant venues named by respondents to by gender .................................................................................................... 19 the musician survey ............................................................................ 43 Figure 4: Percentage of annual income by type of Figure 23: Venue types visited by respondents to the respondent to the musician survey ......................................... 20 audience survey for live music in the last 12 months .. 49 Figure 5: Annual income direct from live music of Figure 24: Venue types performed in by respondents professional respondents to the musician survey .......... 21 to the musician survey in past 12 months ........................... 50 Figure 6: Musicians’ other roles ��������������������������������������������������� 21 Figure 25: Venue types performed in by ‘emerging’ and ‘formative years’ musicians ............................................................. 51 Figure 7: Genres with which respondents to the musician survey most identify ..................................................... 23 Figure 26: Venue types most used by respondents to the promoter survey in past 12 months ................................ 52 Figure 8: Genres from which respondents to the musician survey earn money ������������������������������������������������������� 24 Figure 27: Types of ensemble hosted regularly by respondents to the venue survey .............................................. 53 Figure 9: Employment status of different types of respondents to the musician survey ....................................... 24 Figure 28: Venue types regularly hosting/promoting blues .............................................................................................................. 54 Figure 10: Audience spend over £20 per month on tickets and recorded music by age group of Figure 29: Venue types regularly hosting/promoting respondents to the audience survey ...................................... 25 classical ....................................................................................................... 54 Figure 11: Ticket reselling among respondents to the Figure 30: Venue types regularly hosting/promoting audience survey who had to resell a ticket in past 12 pop ................................................................................................................. 55 months ........................................................................................................ 26 Figure 31: Venue types regularly hosting/promoting Figure 12: Activities additional to live music of rock ................................................................................................................ 55 respondents to the venue survey .............................................. 32 Figure 32: Local factors having extreme, strong or Figure 13: Cultural value of respondents to the venue moderate impact on respondents to the venue survey survey ........................................................................................................... 33 ...........................................................................................................................