Fans Lap Up £500 Million Worth of Gig Tickets in 2009
Wednesday, 07 April 2010
Written by TJ Ireland
The demand for live gigs is soaring despite a hike in ticket prices, according to industry figures.
Ticket sales at the UK and Ireland’s largest venues grew by 40 per cent in 2009, reaching over £500 million in total.
The figures, published in industry mag Music Week, show the UK’s live music scene is thriving.
Although the internet has been blamed for the worrying slump in sales for record companies, it has allowed fans to access and sample the music of almost any band with a web connection.
As people find it easier to listen to music they love, cheaply, it becomes more likely they will pay to see it performed live.
Despite average ticket prices rising by 12 per cent, venues are offering more gigs, to bigger audiences, according to detailed figures from The National Arenas’ Association (NAA).
It comes as HMV announces it expects the total live music market to be around a third larger than recorded music by 2012.
HMV, now a giant in live and recorded music in the UK, will be expanding further into the live scene and ticketing in 2010 after buying up various venues in 2009.
The Internet continues to create new ways of funding the music industry, in a world where record labels no longer dictate which bands should have a pop at commercial success.
If you’re a band with serious talent, the Internet will discover you. You’ll build a following and be able to disperse your music around the world in a click. And if you’re seriously good, you’ll have people paying serious money to see you play live.
Just don’t expect to sell any records.
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