Concerts: Italian live music venues report takings of 24.8 million
Study by Assomusica, KeepOn Live and Arci: bars are the main source of revenue. Public funding accounts for just 5 per cent of the business, compared with 21 per cent of the European figure
music that ‘matters’, the kind that ultimately endures, rarely originates on TV or in the marketing departments of the major labels. It’s something that comes from the grassroots: from small venues steeped in tradition, venues with a special atmosphere where you have to win over the audience with the quality of what you offer. Welcome to Italia’s live club scene, a sector generating a turnover of 24.8 million and attracting some 1.16 million attendees across 6,456 events in a single year. From Alcatraz in Milan to Monk in Rome, from Estragon in Bologna to Hiroshima Mon Amour in Turin, right through to Bloom in Mezzago. where, in a bygone era, Nirvana once played.
Bar service makes the biggest contribution to turnover
A world that has long remained out of the spotlight, now brought to light by the study Spazi che suonano – Atlas of Italian Live Clubs , produced by the trade associations KeepOn Live and Assomusica in collaboration with Arci, which will be presented today at the Chamber of Deputies. From a financial perspective, the survey – which involved the 118 largest Italian live music venues – reveals a significant finding: the main sources of revenue lie in commercial activities. The sale of food and drink generates 9.9 million, even exceeding ticket sales, which amount to over 9.1 million. This is followed by membership fees, amounting to 1.7 million, venue hire for events (around 1.4 million) and public funding, which stands at just over 1.1 million euros. Sponsorship accounts for a marginal share, with revenue of just 317,000 euros.
Among the highlights is the live programme
As with all economic activities, there are both income and expenditure: the largest item of expenditure relates to cultural programming, which accounts for around 7.2 million. Staff costs, meanwhile, amount to 6.5 million, followed by expenditure on property and the management of premises (3.5 million). Looking at the legal status, the majority of organisations (65 per cent) are associations, and a large proportion of these (74 per cent) are registered as Social Promotion Associations. The level of ‘formalisation’ is high: 97 per cent of organisations are registered in official registers and 74 per cent hold a VAT number. However, their size remains modest: 86 per cent of venues have a capacity of fewer than 500 people; the average capacity is 388 spectators, whilst the median capacity is just 150 seats.
In terms of employment, a complex ecosystem emerges, comprising employees, professionals and volunteers. Volunteers account for 53 per cent of those involved, but cover 36 per cent of the hours worked. Employees, whilst making up 21 per cent of the workforce, account for 33 per cent of the total work. 58 per cent of those involved are under 35 years of age.
Turin: the capital of live music venues
From a geographical perspective, the research confirms a high concentration in urban areas: of the 118 clubs surveyed, 74 are located in provincial capitals and only 44 operate in outlying areas or non-provincial capitals. Turin tops the list with 12 live music venues surveyed, followed by Bologna with 11 and Milan and Florence with 8 venues each.
