The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee (DCMS) has announced a new inquiry into live music, which will look at issues including the impact of Brexit on touring artists, the threat to grassroots venues and the growth of secondary ticketing.
The cross-party committee of MPs – appointed to scrutinise the UK Government – is calling for the public to submit their views on the issues facing the music industry.
The committee said that despite the British live music industry attracting over 30 million music fans in 2016 and music tourism contributing £4 bn to the UK economy that year, 'the number of grassroots music venues have seen a drastic decline.'
It also pointed to the growth of secondary ticketing, which 'continues to frustrate the public and threaten the sustainability of live music events.'
The inquiry will pick up from the findings and evidence submitted in a previous investigation into ticket abuse, which was cut short by the 2017 General Election.
Chair of the DCMS, Damian Collins MP, said: 'This inquiry will be an opportunity for the committee to revisit the important issue of secondary ticket selling. We want to hear from the public about their direct experiences with this issue and what they think can be done to tackle it.
'We’ll also investigate what problems many small music venues face, as they struggle to keep their doors open despite the unwavering enthusiasm from the British public for live music.'
The DCMS will be investigating the following areas:
Music tourism - Including the economic benefits of music festivals and concerts, how to solve the disparity of spending in cities and regions and how to sustain music tourism.
Impact of Brexit - Including how it will affect touring artists, how this can be mitigated and what should be done in the transitional period.
Small music venues - Including how the music sector has been affected by venue closures, whether small music venues should be classified as cultural venues and what can be done to help grassroots artists and bands.
Ticket abuse - Including how successful reforms have been to secondary ticketing and what more needs to be done.
Sustainability - Including how music provision has been affected by education reforms, and how people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can access quality music education.
The inquiry follows news of the government's backing of Agent of Change, which the DCMS said it 'welcomes', adding: 'We’ll be exploring other ways in which the Government can support upcoming artists and grassroots venues that form such a crucial part of the music scene in the UK.'
The cross-party committee of MPs – appointed to scrutinise the UK Government – is calling for the public to submit their views on the issues facing the music industry.
The committee said that despite the British live music industry attracting over 30 million music fans in 2016 and music tourism contributing £4 bn to the UK economy that year, 'the number of grassroots music venues have seen a drastic decline.'
It also pointed to the growth of secondary ticketing, which 'continues to frustrate the public and threaten the sustainability of live music events.'
The inquiry will pick up from the findings and evidence submitted in a previous investigation into ticket abuse, which was cut short by the 2017 General Election.
Chair of the DCMS, Damian Collins MP, said: 'This inquiry will be an opportunity for the committee to revisit the important issue of secondary ticket selling. We want to hear from the public about their direct experiences with this issue and what they think can be done to tackle it.
'We’ll also investigate what problems many small music venues face, as they struggle to keep their doors open despite the unwavering enthusiasm from the British public for live music.'
The DCMS will be investigating the following areas:
Music tourism - Including the economic benefits of music festivals and concerts, how to solve the disparity of spending in cities and regions and how to sustain music tourism.
Impact of Brexit - Including how it will affect touring artists, how this can be mitigated and what should be done in the transitional period.
Small music venues - Including how the music sector has been affected by venue closures, whether small music venues should be classified as cultural venues and what can be done to help grassroots artists and bands.
Ticket abuse - Including how successful reforms have been to secondary ticketing and what more needs to be done.
Sustainability - Including how music provision has been affected by education reforms, and how people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds can access quality music education.
The inquiry follows news of the government's backing of Agent of Change, which the DCMS said it 'welcomes', adding: 'We’ll be exploring other ways in which the Government can support upcoming artists and grassroots venues that form such a crucial part of the music scene in the UK.'
