Help Tasmania University Discover The Value Of Live Music

16 September 2014 | 11:51 am | Staff Writer

If you enjoy going to gigs, you'll want to read this

The University Of Tasmania is calling for responses to a survey it is conducting in order to understand the intrinsic value of live music.

The project, titled Cultural And Economic Contributions Of Live Music Making In Australia, and is designed to compile data through which policy makers and regulators will be able to make better-informed decisions when it comes to Australia's live-music landscape, and is seeking as many opinions as possible to constrcut the most comprehensive picture they can of Aussies and live music consumption.

“Music is an essential and incredibly valuable part of our lives, for individuals and communities,” Dr Carter said in a statement.

“However, we don’t have a lot of reliable data on live music in Australia; what’s there can be patchy and misses a lot of activity.

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“Our hunch is that a rigorous cost-benefit analysis will demonstrate live music makes a significant economic and social contribution at very little cost to governments.”

The survey will call for responses not just from live music fans (via online submission) but venue owners, bookers, and other stakeholders of the live music industry based throughout Hobart, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

“The views of fans are incredibly important to our work," Dr Carter explained. "We’ve had a reasonably strong response to the survey but the more data we have, the better.

“We are very keen to hear from fans about what gigs they attend, why they go, how much they spend and what they think the value of live music is for them and the broader community.

“Understanding how much money is involved in live music and where it goes is important, but we also need to consider the value that live music brings to the wellbeing of audiences and what it would cost to replicate that value if venues suddenly went away."

The study is a joint initiative of primary backers the Live Music Office in conjunction with the City Of Sydney, the City Of Melbourne and the South Australian state government, as well as personnel from the University of Technology, Sydney, and RMIT.

To have your say and help the researchers develop the most comprehensive understanding of the ways in which Aussie punters consume live music, head here and fill out their survey - you could be helping to shape the future of the industry.