Guest Post: Why Every Stage Matters (Take NIVA’s State of Live Survey Now!)

By Stephen Parker, Executive Director, National Independent Venue Association

Live performance doesn’t happen by accident. It’s built night after night by the venues and promoters who take risks on emerging artists, the bookers who hustle to make a show happen, and the crews who load in gear, run sound, and keep everything moving. It’s the festival organizers navigating endless logistics, the agents fighting to get a band their shot, and the local teams making sure fans have a place to gather. These are the people and places that fuel the live entertainment ecosystem. Every gig, every tour, every venue—big or small—is a part of something greater.

Yet, the story the world hears about the live sector is incomplete. They see billion-dollar revenue reports from major promoters and assume the entire industry is thriving. But that’s not the full picture. The venues, promoters, and festivals that serve as launching pads for new artists—the independent operators who cultivate talent, keep music diverse, and make local scenes vibrant—are still fighting to survive.

That’s why the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) has launched The State of Live, the first comprehensive economic study of the live performance ecosystem focused on everything outside the large arena tours. If you own, manage, book, or operate a venue, festival, or promotion organization, this is your chance to make sure your reality is counted. That’s why, over the next two weeks, it is important for every stage, every promoter, every festival, and every performing arts center to take the time to complete a survey that will help us show your impact and help us advocate to meet your needs. 

Why This Study Matters to the Live Sector

For years, Pollstar has delivered crucial data on large-scale venues and tours, helping shape industry decisions at the highest level. The State of Live builds on that foundation, ensuring that independent venues, promoters, and music festivals—those that shape careers and keep live music alive—are seen, understood, and valued.

We know the numbers for stadium tours. What we don’t have—until now—is the hard data that quantifies what the independent live sector means to the music business. How many artists rely on these stages to break through? How many jobs are sustained by clubs and mid-size venues? What is the economic impact of independent music festivals on local communities?

We need these answers to tell our story, and this survey and project will give them to us.

Changing the Narrative for Independent Venues and Festivals

Right now, the narrative around live music is skewed. Headlines focus on mega-tours grossing billions, while the reality for thousands of independent venues, promoters, and festivals is starkly different.

Artists don’t start in arenas. They start in the small rooms, the back bars, the 500-cap venues that take a chance on them before the world knows their name. These venues are where careers begin and where the live music industry truly thrives. But without real data to show their impact, these vital spaces risk being left out of the conversation when it comes to industry priorities, funding, and policymaking.

Most venues, promoters, and festivals keep their revenue in the local scene or in the region—paying artists, employing crews, supporting local bars, restaurants, and hotels. Without them, entire ecosystems collapse.

This study will give us the numbers to prove what we already know: that live music, comedy, and performance isn’t just a passion—it’s an economic force that must be recognized.

Why You Need to Participate

If you’re reading this, chances are you already know how hard it is to run a venue, promote a festival, or book a tour. Rising costs, changing regulations, increased competition—it has never been easy, and post-pandemic, it is even tougher. That’s why this study matters.

The data collected in The State of Live will shape how policymakers, investors, and even artists themselves understand the live music industry. It will provide leverage in securing funding, ensuring fair treatment in regulations, and making sure independent stages don’t get overlooked.

Absolute Confidentiality

NIVA has retained TEConomy Partners to conduct this research with the highest level of confidentiality. No individual survey data will ever be shared with NIVA, its board, or any third party. Only TEConomy researchers will have access to raw data, and the final report will present aggregate findings only—ensuring no single venue, festival, or promoter can be identified. After the aggregate data is calculated, all survey data collected will be deleted. 

The Future of Live is in Your Hands

Data drives decisions. If we want independent live music to have a seat at the table when policies, funding, and industry trends are set, we need the numbers to back up what we already know: that these stages, these shows, these venues matter.

We can’t afford to let someone else tell our story. We must tell it ourselves. Take the survey by March 5th.