Call Towards a competitive, fair and sustainable European music ecosystem
Planned opening date 20 January 2022
Horizon Europe Framework Programme (HORIZON)
Deadline date 20 April 2022 17:00:00 Brussels time
LIVE DMA AS SECTORIAL PARTNER, IS LOOKING FOR A CONSORTIUM TO APPLY
Projects should contribute to at least two the following expected outcomes:
*Provide new/improved methodologies for capturing the economic and societal value of music.
*Develop indicators to better detect the performance of the European music sector and its contribution to economic and social development, as well as to sustainability. Promote standardised data collection about the music (sub-)sector(s) to measure the contribution of the EU music sector to the whole economy, the number of employed in the EU music sector, and music consumption on live, broadcast and digital platforms.
*Increase the transparency of the music industry, in particular the online/streaming business, through better data provision. Provide an estimation of the impact of music participation to the society.
*Provide policymakers with effective tools for measuring and enhancing the impact of EU policy making, in the context of Music Moves Europe and beyond, on the music sector.
Scope
Music has an important economic value, but also a fundamental societal impact, contributing to social development and wellbeing. This is particularly relevant in the case of big economic and social crisis, such as the recent one provoked by COVID-19. Of all the cultural and creative sectors, music has also been the one hit the most from the digital revolution, the reduction of physical sales and the concentration of digital distribution in few big players. The sector is currently bearing dramatic consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. Moreover, the music sector is subject to the fast-evolving consumer behaviours related to cultural content consumption and live performances.
At EU level, support for the music sector comes under the Music Moves Europe initiative (MME) along different strands (programme funding, policy cooperation, regulatory measures, dialogue). The lack of reliable and comparable data to develop a competitive, fair and sustainable European music ecosystem is an underlying issue. Therefore, proposals should assess and develop appropriate methodologies and perform quantitative, qualitative and statistical analyses at national and EU level to estimate the economic and the societal impact of the music sector. Proposals should aim at improving statistical data and methods for capturing the economic impact of the music sector. In estimating the economic value of the sector, proposals should also elaborate on lacking definitions related to national and European repertoire and on methodologies allowing to include, on one side, the many professionals being micro enterprises (and therefore completely excluded from official statistics) and, on the other, big digital platforms, making music available for free via adds or selling of data, that are also not reflected in official European statistics. The results of this research should also show the impact of COVID-19 on the music sector, both live and online. In addition, proposals should further research on the economy of the streaming models: while streaming (for free or via a subscription) services are becoming a main access point for music and are expected to grow even further in the years to come, their economic impact on the whole sector in the long term, in particular on the creators, is still uncertain. Proposals should also include in their analysis the impact of COVID-19 on music consumption through streaming platforms. In particular, they should assess whether the catastrophic economic impact of cancelling live music events has translated into a parallel increase in music consumption and revenues for creators and the music sector as a whole. Proposals should also estimate the economic impact on the music sector of the evolution and future trends of social media platforms and new social media channels, as well as streaming of live music events and new forms of “home-made creation” production. Proposals should assess and develop appropriate methodologies to estimate the societal impact of music. They should map the various forms of music participation: playing, performing, creating and consuming music, and their impact as a source of wellbeing across population segments. Based on innovative approaches and a representative geographic coverage across Europe, proposals should also explain how people engage with music in the age of social media, internet and television across different socio-economic groups.
About Live DMA
Live DMA is a European network for live music associations. The members are national or regional associations. The network gathers over 3800 live music venues, clubs and festivals in 17 countries. Established in 2012, Live DMA is a bottom-up organisation, observing and raising the challenges of the live music scenes through a resource platform and many networking opportunities. Cooperation is the motto of Live DMA members, sharing knowledge, competences, support and good practices within the network. Live DMA is also a public values-driven body, gathering the members’ voices towards the European Institutions and Member States, based on a common ethic charter, to support the cultural, social, and economical importance of the live music scenes.
Our work on observation
The Survey is a project developed by Live DMA and its members back when the network was created. Based on a shared a questionnaire and a series of indicators, Live DMA members collect data about the live music venues’ activities, employment and finances. Live DMA releases a biennial report to give an overview of the European live music landscape. The Survey is also a tool for the members to develop their analysing skills and use data collection to identify the main issues of their live music scenes. Moreover, it is an essential pillar of their advocacy work to give the keys to the policy makers to understand the live music sector. Since 2016, Live DMA is involved in the dialogue between the music sector and the European Commission to create a dedicated programme and a series of target actions to support the diversity of music in Europe, under the banner “Music Moves Europe”. Within this framework, Live DMA seated in the advisory board of a feasibility study of a “European Music Observatory”. Indeed, music professionals agree that there is a need to create a public-private organisation to monitor the knowledge and the value of the music sector in order to support a fairer music ecosystem. Live DMA is willing to share its skills and its experience, as well as to defend strong values to establish this Music Observatory. The Horizon2020 call seems to be the right-time opportunity to develop this objective by pooling our expertise with researchers and policy makers.
Diversity
Music diversity relies on diverse organisations, from small to larger scenes, with a mix of public, private commercial and non-profit status. The diversity of typologies of live music scenes ensures a diversity of artistic propositions, either underground, middle-ground (emerging artists) or upper-ground (experimented and popular artists). It may be difficult to map and represent this fragmented sector, especially the less-structured and professionalised ones, while being some of the largest contributors to the diversity of the music ecosystem. Data collection highlights the importance of all the music stakeholders and give the keys to understand how the sector is organised in different geographical areas.
Participative
Our observation method establishes a participatory and shared relational mode, between all the participants throughout its implementation as well as in the determination of what is to be observed in the analysis. This method relies on a foundation of ethical principles and on a system of values validated between the various actors involved in it. They are at the heart of the observation system and associated with the management and control
Participative
Our observation method establishes a participatory and shared relational mode, between all the participants throughout its implementation as well as in the determination of what is to be observed in the analysis. This method relies on a foundation of ethical principles and on a system of values validated between the various actors involved in it. They are at the heart of the observation system and associated with the management and control
of the information they produce (constitution of questionnaires, inventory of issues, participation in the analysis of results, etc.). The philosophy of action that drives this method induces a balance of interests of the participants in the observation by giving priority to the one who generates the information. In this sense, the Survey methodology is opposed to “top-down” observation methods, which, almost systematically, exclude respondents from the entire process of carrying out an investigation or inventory, often limiting their role to a passive reception of the processed information.
Ownership
Data represent a gold mine for the ones who own it and know how to use it. Intermediaries who collect data may use individual information for a commercial purpose. When training music stakeholders to share and analyse their data, we do not only empower them with new skills, but we also give them the possibility to own their data, and use it for their own purpose. It is therefore our duty to also protect the participants in our data collection projects and guarantee that individual data remains anonymous. Only totals and averages are released in our Survey reports.
Transparency
Our methodology, from questionnaires to answers rates and results are documented and available for free. Raw data are not released in order to avoid misinterpretation. However, data results can be made available upon request for researchers and universities.
Interested?
Contact me audrey.guerre@live-dma.eu
www.live-dma.eu