Working Group Live

Chaired by Ian Smith, this group explored live music and its presentation (festivals, managers, agents, musicians, export), which has become a hugely important generator of revenue in the music sector.

Cooperation

  • Collaboration should be fostered between large and small organisations and creators/musicians
  • Better understanding and collaboration must regulate relations between artist, venue, agent, festival and potential audiences.
  • More open and regular dialogue between the major industry players and funders, including trade bodies, would result in benefits for everyone.
  • The public and private sectors should work together to ensure fairness and proper funding to the sector.
  • More reciprocity between schools and professional career development would lead to longer‐term benefits.

A new music industry ecosystem

  • The music industry has shifted from being label/production-centred to being more focused on live performance. This, together with the essential focus among key live music stakeholders, raises questions and concern as far as artist development is concerned.
  • An ongoing concentration of major players becoming leading players in business units all along the value chain of the live music industry must be monitored and perhaps regulated.

Promotion of Live Music

  • Cities and local governments should be encouraged to see the benefits of investing in live music.
  • Local politics should take into consideration the need for a diversity of venues that range from big to small and can trade successfully across all genres.
  • The EU should recognise popular live music as performing art and culture (in several EU countries, live music venues are still under the scope of “entertainment” alongside casinos, etc.)