Live Music Industry News

This is a guest post from Piers Henwood, a GRAMMY and JUNO-nominated artist manager and musician. Here, he writes about the implications of the pressure placed on artists to succeed in a needy industry and an always-on culture – and he also picks apart our own expectations, as fans. He also proposes a new way of thinking about the relationship between fan and artist: one that creates a new empathetic framework of business that leaves artists less prone to burnout and fans happy.

Long-time music executive Jimmy Wheeler has been hired by the Tennessee Entertainment Commission 

Chris Strachwitz, musicologist and the founder of Arhoolie Records, a renowned folk label, has passed away at the age of 91.

COLUMBIA, MD (CelebrityAccess) -- The Boston-based rock band Extreme announced they are dropping out of the M3 Rock Festival while guitarist Nuno Bettencourt recovers from basketball-related injuries. The band announced the lineup change on their social

Despite angry words from Taylor Swift, major issues with its Ticketmaster division, a Senate hearing and incoming legislation, Live Nation posted another record-breaking quarter in Q1 of 2023, with a record $3.1 billion in revenue — up 73% from the same period last year — and a record 19.5 million fans attending its events as the global touring business returns to full strength.

The company’s concerts division already has sold almost 90 million tickets for shows this year already, more than 20% ahead of last year, and posted adjusted operating income of $320 million, a 53% increase.

From May 10th-16th, over 3,800 shows are on-sale for just $25 all-in during National Concert Week. Find the full list of shows here.

Bamboozle Festival, which was slated to be held this weekend (May 5-7), has been cancelled just days out after the Atlantic City authorities declined to issue a final permit for the event. 

Many of the venues that nurtured us have now closed. We’re donating £1 per ticket of our upcoming arena tour to preserve the rest – and it should become standard practice

LOS ANGELES (VIP-BOOKING) - Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino defended the practice of charging higher ticket prices for concerts during an appearance on The Bob Lefsetz Podcast. During the conversation, Rapino also delved into the nitty-gritty

Live Nation executive Dan Wall has taken aim at resale sites he claims are dishonestly attempting to use antitrust arguments “to protect their scalping business”.

The group’s executive vice-president for corporate and regulatory affairs, an antitrust expert, published a blog via Live Nation’s corporate website in which he accused secondary marketplaces of claiming they want to enhance consumer rights by opposing restrictions on the resale of tickets. However, Wall, namechecking the likes of Viagogo, StubHub, SeatGeek and Vivid Seats, wrote that “antitrust noise coming from resale sites and their Astroturf advocacy groups” is aimed at ensuring government intervention to keep tickets fully transferable through initiatives such as the ‘Ticket Buyer Bill of Rights’, which was unveiled earlier this year.

Entertainment consulting company Venue Coalition recently announced industry veteran JoAnn Armstrong will join the company as Vice President (VP) of Programming.

In her new role, Armstrong will focus on servicing the company’s 150-plus member venues across North America, assisting them with national and regional booking, and providing solid advocacy within the touring industry.

UK Record Store Day helped boost vinyl sales by 122 per cent, according to figures by the Official Charts Company.

PROFECO, Mexico’s Office of the Federal Prosecutor for the Consumer, announced that a Mexico City judge admitted a class action lawsuit against Ticketmaster and concert promoter OCESA. Multiple breaches such as the unilateral cancellation of tickets or a refusal to refund the full amount paid by customers led to the collective action, according to a press release by PROFECO.

Over the last year, SoundCloud executives have spoken several times about how the platform’s ‘fan-powered royalties’ user-centric payouts was not an endgame in itself, but rather a building block to further opportunities for artists and their teams.

“When the economic model cuts these cohorts [of fans] into their own scenes, rooms, that’s when the model really flies. That data, let alone the royalties, becomes even more valuable,” SoundCloud’s VP strategy Michael Pelczynski told the NY:LON conference in January.

Concerts giant Live Nation has reported record results across all its divisions for Q1 2023.

For the first time in three years, all markets where the company operates were fully open, and according to Michael Rapino, Live Nation’s President and Chief Executive Officer, “from ticket sales, to attendance, and onsite spend – every sign points to incredible demand for live events”.

NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) -- Ground Control Touring announced the addition of Andrew Ellis to the team. Ellis will join GCT's New York office, bringing acts such as Manchester Orchestra, Men I Trust, New Found Glory, The

INDIANPOLIS (CelebrityAccess) -- Indianapolis-based concert promoter and venue operator Forty5 announced that Keith Richards has joined the company as a talent buyer. Richards joins Fort5 with more than a decade of relevant experience, including agent gigs

George Michael and the Spinners also prevailed in balloting; others selected for induction by a select committee include Chaka Khan, Bernie Taupin, Don Cornelius, Al Kooper, Link Wray and DJ Kool Herc

Ticketmaster has avoided a potential $122m penalty after being cleared of patent infringement in a US court.

Independent electronic music promoter Disco Donnie Presents announced that the Freaky Deaky festival will return this year but will take place at a new location for 2023. 

A broad coalition of music and live event industry organizations have joined forces as Fix The Tix to advocate for more equitable concert ticketing.

Yorkshire’s The Piece Hall has smashed the 100,000 ticket sales mark ahead of a busy summer of live music shows. 

Today global music platform, TIDAL is reintroducing TIDAL RISING by offering a selection of emerging artists new ongoing support through custom promot

The Federal Consumer Prosecutor’s Office (Profeco) in Mexico has revealed that a judge from Mexico City has admitted a class action lawsuit.