Publication: New report Music Management in Europe
The European Music Managers Alliance (EMMA) recently published a report MUSIC MANAGEMENT in EUROPE as part of their EMMpower project.
The research was conducted by Thomas Calkins, Pauwke Berkers, Yosha Wijngarden and Frank Kimenai (all Erasmus University Rotterdam).
Some key findings:
Of 354 survey respondents, 53.9% were based in Western Europe, 25.9% in Northern Europe, 12.3% in Eastern Europe and 7.9% in Southern Europe
Although the majority (67.6%) have obtained university degrees, 96.5% say they are self-taught in music management and learned through experience
58% are either self-employed or own their own business. 60.6% are paid on a commission basis
78.3% manage between 1 and 5 clients
Although the majority of respondents (51.9%) were women, female managers are more likely to earn less. 51.5% of female respondents said they reside in the lowest income categories, compared to 27.1% of male respondents
The top 3 areas for professional support were identified as: legal and contractual skills; music synchronisation; accounting and financial planning + brand partnerships/sponsorships (equal responses)
The top 3 challenges identified were: access to finance; time management and work / life balance; networking and partnerships
Respondents indicate that the two most important policy items for EMMA to pursue include lobbying for the user-centric streaming model and legislation for fairer remunerations to creators.
The findings of the report indicate several areas where EMMA, alongside other music industry organisations and publicly funded bodies, may focus their efforts in order to further support the growth and development of the music management sector, and thereby strengthening the multifaceted European music industry.