The Night Time Industries Association (NTIA) recently published a report which demonstrates how electronic music contributed £2.4 billion to the UK economy in 2024. This is a slight decrease compared to the year before when it was estimated at £2.5 billion. However, recorded music and publishing of the genre contributed up to £133.9 million in this period, a 1% increase from the previous year.
The report also showed an increase of 14% in the number of people attending festivals featuring electronic music, from 2.6 million to 3 million, leading to festival revenues of £646.2 million. Nonetheless, a total of 72 independent festivals were postponed, cancelled, or shut down last year. Meanwhile, ticket vendor Skiddle had £163 million in electronic music sales in a year of record-breaking ticket transactions.
The effects of electronic music on the music industry as a whole were also highlighted in the report, with 80% of artists being “significantly influenced by electronic music”. The genre also featured predominantly in UK festivals with 29% of total artists falling into this category, followed by pop with 20% and rock with 22%.
On the other hand, there have been significant reductions in clubs and revenues this year. The number of clubs went down from 875 in 2023 to 851 in 2024, contributing 16% less to the economy at £1,232 million compared to £1,463 million the year before. There were also 10 million fewer electronic-music-based nights out across clubs, festivals, and gigs in 2024 than in the previous year.
CEO of the NTIA, Michael Kill, expressed the need for the government to recognise the economic and cultural impact of electronic music. He urged that DCMS must recognise this sector as a valuable commodity, not an afterthought, emphasising also that this industry is vital to jobs, communities, and the UK’s standing globally. The UK Electronic Music Industry Report is now in its third edition and could further strengthen the argument for acknowledgement of electronic music as one of the UK’s most significant cultural exports
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