Indie music venues drove $1B to Michigan's economy
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Michigan's independent music venues contributed $1 billion to the state's economy last year despite the industry's profitability problems, according to a first-of-its-kind report by the National Independent Venue Association.
Why it matters: NIVA hopes the data motivates policymakers to support legislation like capping ticket resale prices and establishing state-backed live music performance funds to help indie venues survive.
By the numbers: According to the report, Michigan's independent venues generated $2 billion in total economic output while adding $1 billion to the state's GDP.
- The spending created $100.4 million in state and local tax revenue and supported nearly 15,000 jobs.
- Overall, independent venues in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., generated $153.1 billion in total economic output in 2024, while supporting more than 900,000 jobs.
Yes, but: Only 36% of the nation's independent venues were profitable last year.
- NIVA attributes the unprofitability to inflation, anti-competitive practices by larger promoters and predatory ticket resale practices.
The big picture: It's a gritty time for indie music venues. NIVA categorizes independent venues and music festivals as those not owned by a multinational corporation or a publicly traded company.
- The live music industry is dominated by corporate giants like Live Nation and AEG.
- Independent venues in major cities are also facing escalating real estate costs.
Zoom in: Michigan's independent venues include Detroit's Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre, The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor and The Crofoot in Pontiac, according to NIVA.
The intrigue: Owners of the Willis Show Bar, a decades-old venue in the Cass Corridor, recently put it up for sale.
- The bar's owners want to maintain the bar's history and creative spark, but they're now based in Los Angeles, Crain's reports.
- "Willis is as much an independent music venue as one can be," co-owner Steve Livigni wrote to Axios via email. "Without the network or infrastructure of a bigger operator, it really needs someone on the ground there doing the work to put together great shows."
Go deeper: Read NIVA's national report and the findings for Michigan.