Live DMA, a collective voice for the European live music sector
Created in 2012, Live DMA is a European non-governmental network supporting live music associations. Live DMA is by nature a cooperation network based on shared visions and values. By nurturing exchange of information and good practices between its members and working as collective voice for the sector, Live DMA aims to enhance the recognition of live music venues, clubs and festivals all over Europe, as essential cultural, economic and social operators.
Through time, Live DMA has grown in terms of size and impact. Today, the network is composed of 20 members situated in 16 countries. The members are regional and national live music associations that represent over 3000 music venues, clubs and festivals located all over Europe.
In 2017, the European Commission recognized Live DMA as European network and granted, via the Creative Europe programme, funding to develop the network’s project Live Style Europe. Live Style Europe is a “building capacity programme” with the objective to empower music venues, clubs, festivals, and regional and nationals live music associations and to provide them with skills and tools in order to adapt to the changes of the music sector.
In 2022, Live DMA celebrated ints 10th birthday! read more about our story here!
What we believe in
Music venues, clubs, and festivals are one of the main springboards for talent development in Europe. From local grassroots scenes to internationally renowned stages, they are social gathering places where people can easily meet and enjoy a large range of artistic propositions. Venues, clubs and festivals are an important part of our neighborhoods, in both rural and urban areas. They are open to diversity, they have a strong impact on the local economies, and, they are strongly connected to the people. As Live DMA’s Survey shows, Live DMA venues and clubs organize over 400 000 live acts and attract more than 70 million visitors every year. About 48 000 volunteers participate every day in venues and clubs’ activities and in the dynamism of the local neighbourhoods.
Our missions are to:
- Promote live music as arts and culture
- Level up the conditions for venues, clubs and festivals in Europe
- Empower live music professionals
- Participate in public policies to improve the conditions of the live music sector
Live DMA’s governance
Live DMA is registered as French association (loi 1901) and, as it is written in the association’s statutes and ethic charter, it is a bottom-up organization with a horizontal governance. Each year, Live DMA members elect a board that will represent them within the organization and will help the staff in strategic decisions. We push our members to pay a particular attention to the gender and age balance of the board as well as geographic representation. The board is currently composed of:
Live DMA’s political commitment in European organisations
Live DMA is actively engaging with other European cultural networks and projects in order to influence the European approach of culture. Our aim is the inclusion of live music in particular, and culture and the arts in general, in the long-term goals of the European project.
European Music Council
Live DMA is member of the European Music Council, a membership organisation acting as stakeholder for the European music sector incorporating all kinds of musical genres on many different levels.
Since June 2018, Live DMA coordinator Audrey Guerre is an elected board member of the European Music Council and she has been elected President in 2023.
Music Moves Europe – The feasibility study for the establishment of a European Music Observatory
The aim of the feasibility study for the establishment of a European Music Observatory, led by KEA and Panteia, is to investigate the possible future full-scale establishment of a data collection organisation. Read here the final report of the feasibility study for the establishment of a European Music Observatory here.
Music Moves Europe Talent Awards
The Music Moves Europe Talent Awards are the European Union Prize for popular and contemporary music awarded every year, to the emerging artists who represent the European sound of today and tomorrow. The awards are implemented and presented by ESNS and Reeperbahn Festival.
Live DMA forms together with seven other European networks the advisory board of the Music Moves Europe Talent Awards.
EMX – European Music Export
The EMX project aims at testing new strategies to develop and promote European music export. Hand in hand with networks representing European music professionals, artists, musicians, authors and composers, the general objective of this work will be to experiment with different approaches to reinforce the international foothold of the EU music sector and generate new knowledge to European music export through research and innovative pilot actions. Live DMA is part of the Advisory Committee of EMX.
Keychange
Keychange is a global network and movement working towards a total restructure of the music industry in reaching full gender equality.
With its Pledge, Keychange offers an effective tool and tailored support to increase representation throughout the music world. Live DMA signed the Keychange Pledge in 2021.
