Empowering the UK’s Live Music Industry
LIVE is dedicated to empowering the UK’s live music industry as a global leader, driving economic growth, fostering cultural exchange, and creating opportunities for artists, venues, and fans alike. By addressing key challenges and collaborating with policymakers, industry leaders, and stakeholders, we aim to build a thriving, inclusive, and sustainable sector that champions creativity, supports grassroots talent, and puts live music at the heart of the nation’s cultural and economic future.
1. Kickstart economic growth
a. Unleash the economic potential of our world-leading live music industry
- Build an Industrial Strategy which accelerates the potential of live music to drive UK economic activity
- Reform the business rates system to better incentivise and reduce burdens faced by music venues and rehearsal spaces.
- And provide bridging support for those venues impacted by the reduction in relief
- Commit to hosting regular meetings of the Live Music Council
- Put ‘Agent of Change’ protections in primary legislation and make Music Venues Trust a statutory consultee to protect venues threatened with closure
- Deliver on the Culture, Media, and Sport Select Committee’s recommendations to:
- Undertake a comprehensive analysis of the impact of a cut to VAT to the live music ecosystem including venues, festivals, artists and promoters
- Introduce a cut to VAT on tickets to stimulate live music activity
- Industry commitment: Generate an annual grassroots music fund to be distributed by the LIVE Trust
2. Break down barriers to opportunity
a. Improve the UK’s relationship with the EU to help our touring artists and boost cultural exchange
- Amend the 90/180 rule for non-Schengen third countries so artists and crew can tour more freely in the EU
- Provide additional support to touring artists including clear and concise information online to navigate existing requirements
- Deliver a Cultural Accord to improve touring arrangements for UK and EU artists and their crew
- Establish a Music Export Office with government to promote UK music abroad
- Expand funding via the Music Export Growth Scheme to boost the profile of British music exports overseas
- Industry commitment: work with policymakers in the UK and EU to secure improved touring arrangements to the benefit of the UK and EU live music sectors.
b. Put fans at the heart of live music and give them fair opportunities to access live music
- Tackle ticket touting by capping resale prices and giving the Competition and Markets Authority the powers it needs to regulate resale platforms
- Require tech companies to stop promoting ticket touts
- Industry commitment: Develop industry-wide practices to increase transparency for customers
c. Invest in the next generation of musical talent
- Shape the Growth and Skills Levy to permit more tailored skills training for the live music sector
- Deliver on Manifesto commitment to launch the new National Music Education Network and train and recruit 1,000 more music teachers
- Industry commitment: work with Skills England to analyse steps needed to address the skills shortages in the live music sector
- Industry commitment: Implement findings of LIVE’s freelancer research to improve recruitment and retention
