A recent report has shown that electronic music in the UK added approximately £2.4billion to the economy – however, clubs and venues have continued to feel the strain.
The new figures were shared by The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) and showed that, although the figures are down from £2.5billion from the previous year, the electronic music scene is worth around £88.4million when it comes to recorded music and £45.5million when it comes to publishing.
Tallied, these total just shy of £134million – which is actually a one per cent increase from the £132.7million recorded last year.
Electronic music thriving in the UK is also seen as the number of UK festivals featuring the genre rose to 310 from 2023’s 294. Similarly, the festivals saw attendees rise 14 per cent (up to 3million people), equalling a revenue of £646.2 million.
As reported by Mixmag, the past 12 months saw ticket vendors like Skiddle take in record-breaking levels of ticket sales, totalling £163million, and claim that it was electronic music that made up the majority.
The report also shared that 80 per cent of artists asked said that they were “significantly” inspired by electronic music – which is an impressive 73 per cent higher than the previous year.
However, despite all of this, the live music scene in the UK is still feeling the strain. Despite there being an increase in ticket sales for live music, countless grassroots venues are struggling to remain open.
Despite electronic music dominating the festival scene over the past 12 months, that same period of time saw 72 independent festivals cancelled, postponed or closed permanently.
In the NTIA findings, clubs in the UK dropped from 874 to 851 in 2024. Overall, it also reported roughly 85.5 million electronic-music-based nights out across clubs, festivals and gigs across last year. This is more than 10 million less than 2023’s stat of 97.5million.
“Electronic music is one of the UK’s most significant cultural exports, contributing an estimated £2.4 billion to the economy in 2024 alone. Yet, despite its undeniable influence and growth, it remains hidden and marginalised by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS),” said CEO of NTIA Michael Kill (via Mixmag). “This report reinforces the importance of electronic music having a seat at the table – DCMS must recognise this sector as a truly valuable commodity, not an afterthought.”
The NTIA also highlighted how clubs and venues have made consistent efforts to overcome challenges, including implementing earlier closing times, introducing multi-use spaces and looking at more diverse programming.
“For too long, the electronic music industry has been overlooked when it comes to policy and support,” Kill said, urging for more government intervention. “It is time for the government to engage meaningfully, acknowledging its vast economic and cultural impact. This is not just about music – it is about jobs, communities, and the UK’s standing on the global stage.”
The latest report – which is available to view here – comes just months after the NTIA warned that UK clubbing could be “extinct” by the end of the decade.
Back in October, figures found that 37 per cent of all clubs across the country permanently shut since March 2020 – an average of three clubs a week and 150 per year. The NTIA added that if the trend were to continue, all spaces in the UK will have closed their doors by December 31 2029.
Recent times have seen more pressure being placed on the UK government to intervene and help secure the survival of grassroots venues. Last year, for instance, MPs finally began to back a long overdue call for a levy on tickets to gigs at arena level and above – paying back into the ecosystem to keep the talent pipeline flowing, as they do in football.
Speaking to NME about how the live music scene is desperate for support from the government, Michael Kill recalled the “hellish” time that nightclubs have faced in recent years.
“We put that report out to really give the government an understanding of our fragility,” Kill told NME. “The industry needs to take back control of their recovery [because] the government are not competent enough to support us [following] a hellish five or six years”.
He continued, looking at how things need to change going forward. “We’ve got huge challenges, we know what they are, and we’ve got to learn to pivot and work together and actually create some positive outcomes,” he argued. “This is all about taking back control and people understanding that they don’t want to lose the institution of the British nightclub. We’re going to use our resilience to break through these challenges and re-establish ourselves on our own steam.”
“The levy is a great initiative, but it needs to address the ecosystem – not just the top and bottom,” he said. “We do loads of work to help grassroots music venues, but how do people refine their craft if there are limitations on that next level of venues?”
You can find out more about the ticket levy and the ways that it will support grassroots venues and emerging talent here.
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