Nine in ten venues to increase music offering next year, according to new report

Almost nine in ten venues (87%) say they plan to grow their live music offering next year, according to a new survey conducted by CGA by Nielsen IQ.

The report, titled Live Music Index, also found that if all venues with the potential to show live music did so, it could be worth up to £2.4bn in revenue for the sector.

The results come after CGA conducted a survey of over 800 pubs, bars, and other hospitality venues, of which 36% (291) did not currently host live music. It also surveyed 1,084 artists.

The report was commissioned by live music marketplace GigPig, in conjunction with the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), Live Music Industry Venues & Entertainment, Pirate Studios, and Play Music Today,

It is the first cross-industry report on the value of music to operators, and the musicians they employ.

The survey revealed nearly three quarters (73%) of the venues host live music at least once a week, while nearly a third (31%) offer events between three and five times weekly.

From the operator side, respondents said music events generate a host of benefits for their sites, from nine in ten saying it improves atmosphere and guest satisfaction, almost eight in ten saying it increases revenue and footfall, and a third agreeing it encourages repeat visits.

Responding to the report, Michael Kill, CEO at NTIA, said: "Thousands of exceptional UK artists, including Oasis, Prodigy, and Ed Sheeran, began their artistic journeys by gracing the stages of local pubs and bars. We stand united with GigPig in their dedicated mission to convert every venue into a potential performance space, ensuring that each artist has the chance to refine their craft and garner support while introducing their unique musical expressions to the public."

While live music can help in a venues’ profitability and popularity, the report also stated some of the challenges operators face when putting on such music events, from spending time and resources in searching for, and booking, the right artists for their venue, to the administration that falls on staff when managing the booking process and sale of tickets.

Image: Live music at The Fox Inn, Hanwell, London