Live DMA Highlights Small-Venue Needs

The European network for live music venues collected data from 301 members in six different countries offering insights into the way music venues work in Europe and emphasizing important issues for the live music sector.

Live DMA unifies more than 1,100 venues in eight European countries through 10 representative organizations. Seven of them took part in the survey: ACCES (Spain, excl. Catalonia), Club Circuit (Belgium, WL), Club Plasma (Belgium, FL), Dansk Live (Denmark), FEDELIMA (France), Norske Konsertarrangører (Norway) and VNPF (Netherlands).

The survey gathered data on the average capacities of the venues, the audiences they attract, the type of events held, the people they employ and, their income divvied up into ticket sales, subsidies and other income.

Data indicate that venues in France are subsidized the most while Spain finds itself at the bottom of the list. The survey also puts costs related to the programming of an event into proportion with ticket sales, showing that most venues spend more money on programming than they earn from ticket sales.

“Bar income and subsidy are therefore essential to realize the current program of music venues,” the study finds.

The Live DMA survey comes when small- and medium-sized venues throughout Europe are struggling to survive, with costs and noise complaints the main factors. Countries like Germany and Great Britain have recently published similar reports to highlight the fact that clubs and small venues are a vital part of the music ecosystem.