Studies

As part of our structure funding, we regularly provide financial support for academic studies on the music industry and music culture in Germany. Through our live music funding, we also conduct our own research projects, including our nationwide studies of music venues (Club Study) and music festivals (Festival Study).

Festival Study

During the past 20 years, the number of music festivals has grown continuously, and with it their cultural and economic significance both for the music industry itself, as well as for cities and entire regions. Music festivals serve not only as venues for social encounters and interaction, but also as platforms for artistic expression, cultural networks and the support of young talent. Our Festival Study provides the first nationwide, cross-genre overview of music festivals in Germany. The extensive survey of music festivals aims to assess the economic, cultural, environmental, and social significance of music festivals and to fill in existing knowledge gaps.

The complete study is available for download as a PDF

Key figures of the festival study

Approximately 1,800 music festivals in Germany
71% popular music and jazz, 24% classical music
Average of 30 concerts or acts per festival, 40% of which are emerging artists or ensembles
Average attendance rate: 76%; major events: 84%
Average number of attendees: 9,244

Economic framework conditions

Revenue: 551 million euros; expenses: 522 million euros (extrapolated to the entire festival landscape)
Only 15% generate profit; 30% operate at loss
84% of applying festivals received at least one approval for funding; 18% did not recently apply for public funding
Artist fees are the highest expenditures (average 38%); 48% for classical music festivals, 34% for popular music festivals—including 41% for jazz festivals
Artist fees: average €522 (newcomers) to average €7,300 (headliners)

Organization, Commitment, and Motivation

77% of festivals are nonprofit; classical music festivals account for 89%
Volunteer work: 79% of festivals rely heavily on volunteers for organization, planning, or execution (97% in rural areas)
84% of organizers want to provide a cultural contribution with their festival; 10% want to make money from it

Social Responsibility

85% implement measures to ensure ecological sustainability
Diversity is significantly more important in popular music (59%), including jazz at 48%, than in classical music (21%)
60% provide specific performance opportunities for emerging musicians

Future and Momentum

18% of festivals have been newly founded since 2020, with especially significant growth in the electronic music sector (36%)
66% expect the number of festivals in Germany to decline in the future
4% of classical music festivals and 10% of popular music and jazz festivals fear the discontinuation of their events

The study is a joint project of Initiative Musik, Bundesstiftung LiveKultur, and the German Music Information Center (miz). The survey was conducted by the Allensbach Institute. The project was made possible thanks to special funding from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM).

Contact

Lisa Andersohn
lisa.andersohn@initiative-musik.de
General and content-related questions

Anna Jakisch
anna.jakisch@initiative-musik.de
Press inquiries

Club Study

Music venues are essential pillars of our cultural life. With their wide-ranging live music programs, they contribute to a diverse cultural landscape in every region of the country. The findings of the Initiative Musik club study provide a nationwide overview of the current state and relevance of music venues. The survey covers the year 2019. In an additional section, participating club operators were interviewed about the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

The study provides us with a comprehensive picture of the current state of music venues and what defines them culturally, socially, and economically. The club study thus serves as an important foundation for further discussion on cultural policy. The recommended actions identified in the study are intended to provide impetus for better preservation and support of music venues in the future.

Full report on the nationwide club study in German

Individual reports of the federal states

In May 2021, Initiative Musik published the first nationwide club study. The study provides an overview and numerous insightful findings regarding the situation of music venues across Germany.

Thanks to the above-average response rate to the online survey, the available data also allows detailed, in-depth individual reports on the 16 federal states. They provide an important addition and comparison to the nationwide results. The reports enable a more nuanced assessment of the diverse live music venues in Germany.