Agents Agenda - Upgrade for Concert Agencies

While ticket prices increase, the number of festivals decline, and the network of clubs and venues gets smaller, making it the toughest environment ever for new acts to build a fanbase.

At the same time, financial pressures on the consumer, exacerbated by rising inflation, is forcing music fans to make tough choices on how to spend their shrinking budget of disposable income.

This perfect storm of conditions means that the decision by artists about when to go on tour is becoming a much more complicated task. And the risk is further intensified when market conditions for concerts can change as rapidly as today’s global news-flow.

But the live music business continues to flourish, thanks to the skilled professionals who enable acts to take their talent on the road.

This session, led by IQ Magazine editor Gordon Masson, will talk to some of those experts to gauge how they believe the global business is evolving, amidst a whole range of fast-moving challenges.

With Generation ChatGPT poised to redefine how artists and fans shape their relationships, how is the industry itself making use of AI to set the agenda for the next decade?

Will technology fundamentally change the remit for artist representatives? Can algorithms and value chain-driven company policies create new opportunities for booking agencies and live music promoters? Or will the global business be dominated, on both sides, by a handful of all-powerful corporate powerhouses?

And is anyone claiming it’s “business as usual” in danger of becoming redundant in the arms race for market share?