Live Music Census completed in five cities on the same night

On October 11th teams from OpenMusE completed surveys of venues and audiences in five cities – Helsinki, Mannheim, Heidelberg, Vilnius and Lviv. The data forms a snapshot of the live music economy in each city and allows comparison between them, and measurement of progress when the census is repeated next year.

All the music venues in each city were mapped and economic information was collected in order to estimate the sector’s value in each city. At the same time, a QR code was distributed on snapshot night allowing nightlifers to submit information about their habits and spending, along with feedback on their nightlife experiences.

“Whether viewed through an economic or a sociocultural lens, the live sector is crucial for all music ecosystem players. However, data gaps make its impact difficult to prove. This is the first time researchers have attempted to map live music activity across major European cities on the same day. The results will inform policy-making across Europe for years to come.” – Project leader James Rhys Edwards.

The data will be analysed by economists and researchers at the University of Turku and SINUS-Institute, revealing the strengths and weaknesses of each city, allowing businesses and city administrations to better understand how to develop and protect their live music scene. Particularly interesting is the comparison between Mannheim and Heidelberg, two cities with opposite attitudes to nightlife regulation and very different outcomes due to the differing policies. While Mannheim as a UNESCO city of music is more liberal with noise regulations and subsidies, venues in Heidelberg are closing their doors one after the other due to more rigid regulation.

Another interesting comparison will be Lviv, a city in wartime conditions with huge pressures on the entertainment sector, and of course unique challenges in the collection of data.

In Vilnius the census was run in coordination with the municipality’s Night Office and is part of an extensive research project which should reveal even more insights into the night economy and the role of music within it.

“I am excited that for the first time we will have data on all the venues in Vilnius and be able to compare our live music economy with other cities around Europe. Data-driven policy making is, unfortunately, not the norm and the Live Music Census is a key part of our efforts to move away from being distracted by the uninformed desires and whims of politicians, providing decision-makers with actual evidence of the needs of their citizens and making funding programs more efficient and better targeted.” – Mark Adam Harold, Chair of the Vilnius Night Office and Director of OpenMusE consortium member MXF.

The response from audiences was positive, with hundreds of respondents happily filling out the survey and appreciating being listened to. Businesses too understood the value of collecting this data and many were happy to take part and provide valuable information. However, when asking for delicate information, such as revenue, working with a trusted local entity proved to be crucial. In Germany, the collaboration with Next-Mannheim helped to establish an initial contact and convince the venues to take part in the study.

After this successful pilot project, OpenMusE partners are exploring options for future Census projects. The objective is to refine and repeat the census in many more cities, building a picture of the live music economy of Europe and helping struggling cities to identify the best practices of their more successful neighbours. In cities where the administration is perhaps skeptical of the value of increasing live music activity, OpenMusE will be able to provide solid arguments to change their minds.