The Survey

Live DMA collects data in order to analyze the situation of live music venues and clubs in Europe.

Covid-19 Impact on music venues and clubs – Key Numbers

Since March 2020, most of the 2,600 live music venues and clubs represented by Live DMA and its members in 16 European countries are in survival mode. Due to government regulations, music venues and clubs had to cancel or reschedule all their events. Due to the current restrictions, apart from small concerts and non-musical events, organizing concerts for larger audiences and club nights is still not possible at this moment.

This short report gives an overview on the impact of Covid-19 on 2,600 live music venues and clubs represented by Live DMA and its members. It includes key numbers on number of events, artist performances, audience visits, and loss of income in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019. The report also explains how venues and clubs are affected in regards of their business models.

PDF Download (EN) – Covid-19 Impact

Survey Report – Data 2017

English version – PDF Download

Spanish version – PDF Download

French version – PDF Download

This Survey Report was written in 2019 and published in January 2020.

INDEX OF THE SURVEY

KEY NUMBERS

• Venues & clubs: the driving force of the live music sector
• Legal status: a diversity of business models
• Audience capacity: a space for everyone
• Functions: more than live music
• Music events, performances and visits: where artists meet audiences
• Human resources: working behind the scenes
• Income and expenditure

KEY NUMBERS OF MUSIC VENUES PER REGION

ABOUT LIVE DMA AND THE SURVEY

LET’S ACT!

SURVEY POPULATION

SURVEY METHODOLOGY

CONTACTS

This study shows the results of the data collected on the venues’ and clubs’ activities in 2017.

In 2017, Live DMA represented 2600 music venues in 14 European regions. The data analysis was carried out from September 2018 to May 2019. Data from 2016 of LiveKomm and PETZI venues was added to complete the 2017 data.

The same 25 questions were sent to 1943 music venues of 14 different networks in 11 countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Spain and UK. Data of 604 venues were collected (31% response), which are in this study extrapolated to totals per Live DMA member and to all 2597 music venues within the Live DMA network.

The Survey in a nutshell

Image drawn from the Survey publication – Venues and clubs, the driving force of the live music sector

The key findings of the Live DMA report are not only the impressive total amount of 400,000 live music events, 950,000 artist performances, 70 million audience visits, 87,000 workers and 1.8 billion euro of income and expenditure in the music venues.

Only 37% of the music venues and clubs present live music as their only function.

Especially public venues and clubs often have social and educational functions as well, many venues and clubs have tools and support for emerging artists, and many larger venues have multi-disciplinary functions such as cinema, theater and photography. 

Also, 38% of the music venues and clubs organise festivals. 

52% of the music venues and clubs are non-profit organisations, with more than 90% of venues in Belgium, Denmark, France, Netherlands and Switzerland being non-profit, while the majority in Germany, Spain and UK is commercial.

The median audience capacity of the music venues and clubs is 375. 87% of all music venues and clubs have less than 1000 capacity, often with multiple smaller concert halls.

In average, a music venue or a club organises 157 music events per year and programmes 367 artist performances during these events.

Figure drawn from the Survey publication – Venues and clubs, types of legal status

Live DMA members

Our members are active participants in The Survey as they collect and produce the data. After collecting the data on national and regional levels, we are then able to analyze the situation of venues and clubs on a European level with a set of key indicators. This also leads to the possibility to understand the diversity of live music venues and clubs in different countries. 

Key numbers of music venues per Live DMA member

By following the links, you can view the key facts & figures of the venues and clubs represented by our members in the different regions.

We have also compiled all the data reports our members did, often in their national languages. Check it out here.

Key numbers of music venues per legal status

By following the links, you can view the key facts & figures of the venues and clubs represented by our members with a certain legal status

Data collection and sector monitoring has been one of Live DMA’s first major projects. Since 2012, Live DMA collects data to represent the venues and clubs on a European level and to compare them on different scales.

Developing our own methodology is a strong asset: we build a trustful relationship with the venues and clubs taking part in this project by analyzing their needs and building then the necessary support structures.

The Survey is repeated every year to keep track of the most actual numbers and situation of the venues and clubs, but also with the aim to discover trends and developments.

Past Survey Publications

Survey Publication January 2018, based on data 2015

PDF Download – Survey Report 2018

Survey Publication 2015, based on data 2013

PDF Download – Survey Report 2015

COVID-19 key numbers 2020

PDF Download – Survey Report 2020