Live music is worth more than $1.2 billion to the Australian economy, according to a new study. The report by accounting firm Ernst and Young was commissioned by industry stakeholders including the Australian Council for the Arts and the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). It found that venue-based live music generated more than $1.2 billion in the 2009-10 financial year, with almost 42 million patrons attending more than 328,000 live performances. It also found that the industry employs almost 15,000 full-time workers at almost 4,000 venues across Australia. The council’s Director of Music, Paul Mason, says the report can be used to examine the industry’s health in future years. “There was a strong feeling that there was a real lack of information about what goes on at those venues around the country, so this was an attempt to give ourselves a benchmark, an economic snapshot of that activity,” Mr Mason said.

ABC News story: Live music venues contribute $1.2b to economy

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