NSW Live Music Biz Generates $5.5bn in Economic Output: Report

Despite the myriad pressures on live performance spaces, New South Wales’ live music industry generates an economic output of $5.5 billion, a new report reveals.

Published today (June 4) by Sound NSW, State of the Scene is an inventory of an industry that employs 14,180 direct workers and, at an altruistic level, entertains, inspires and “helps breathe life into our communities.”

Among those 795 state-wide venues that were found to offer live music, 55 were identified as dedicated live music venues, while 453 hosted regular and ongoing live music programming.

And for the year 2023, punters across the state spent $372.7 million on entry to the show. Of the $5.5 billion in economic output attributed to live, $3 billion is said to be directly generated (the remaining 2.5 billion is “indirect”).

State of the Scene spans 30 pages and provides a snapshot of research findings, which tapped more than 750 people working in the NSW live music industry and over 550 live music attendees.

Researchers engaged with representatives at The City of Sydney, Frontier Touring, Future Classic, Select Music, Secret Sounds and more.

“The rich data and insights from the ‘State of the Scene’ will help us better understand and support the live music ecosystem,” says head of Sound NSW Emily Collins, “as well provide an important benchmark for tracking the progress of contemporary music development in NSW.”

Formed by the NSW Government in 2023, Sound NSW is a dedicated office committed to the promotion of the state’s contemporary music sector.

Sound NSW will soon deliver the state’s first-ever 10-year Contemporary Music Strategy, which will “set an ambitious vision for music in NSW,” Collins continues.

“We have exceptional talent and infrastructure in NSW, and this report lays the foundation for us to build better relationships with the industry and partner on an exciting future for contemporary music.”

The live music industry review was a commitment in the state’s arts, culture and creative industries policy, Creative Communities, and can be downloaded in full here.