UK: for the first time, live concerts earn more than recordings

If you look at collection of performance rights in the UK by the PRS from promoters of live shows in 2008, you see that live music concerts generated more revenue (£1,28 billion) than sales of recorded music (£1,24 milliard).

This is the first time this has happened in the music industry in the UK.

During the debates at the International Live Music Conference (ILMC) that took place last week in London, several speakers did however nuance these figures, in spite of exceptional sales in record time by artists such as Michael Jackson, Take That or verterans on their way back like Cliff Richard and the Shadows.

"The big names seem to be doing well and are able to sell their tickets. But artists at a lower level are suffering at the moment", said Phil Bowdery, in charge of tours with Live Nation International. Neil Warnock, of booking Agency Group, also remarked that although "business continues to prosper in major markets such as the UK, France or Germany, […], countries like Russia, China or other countries in South East Asia are really in recession".