The Live Music Mapping Project 2.0: Automating the Mapping, Modelling and Measuring of the Impacts of Regional Live Music Sectors
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Liverpool
Department Name: School of Music
Abstract
To achieve these, the project will:
Test and develop machine learning tools for scraping the web to produce thoroughgoing - human verified - datasets covering live music ecologies. The automated element of this process will be a step-change from prior, resource intensive, data gathering models that have sought to map these ecologies.
Combine the venue datasets with publicly available data (e.g. house prices, rateable value, licensing, planning) and commercial data (e.g. ticket prices, attendance), each provided by public and private research partners (local authorities, LIVE, Night-Time Industry Association), and collate these outputs into a reusable, widely applicable, data-driven 'switchboard' that displays economic and social indicators for use by commerce and policymakers alike.
Work with partners to explore stakeholder perspectives and establish protocols on the appropriate levels of data aggregation and visualisation on the maps/dashboards to develop transparent and trusted sector agreed baseline data frameworks.
Aligning public and commercial datasets, longitudinally and comparatively between cities, will offer new capabilities for informed policymaking beyond the silos of specific departmental concerns, and greatly enhance analytic capacity for industry organisations and academic researchers in promoting civically sustainable cultural development.
In pioneering an interoperable digitised/automated approach to mapping live music sectors, to the best of our knowledge, Live Music Mapping Project 2.0 is a world first. With potential for regional, national and international application and impact, developing these systems will enable academics and industry bodies to unlock longitudinal collaborative potential within venue operations and their urban contexts, allowing for critical assessments of metropolitan policies that demonstrate where musical activity adds socio-cultural and economic value, locate regulatory pinch-points that constrain cultural growth, and identify clear markers of success and challenges for night-time economies.
Test and develop machine learning tools for scraping the web to produce thoroughgoing - human verified - datasets covering live music ecologies. The automated element of this process will be a step-change from prior, resource intensive, data gathering models that have sought to map these ecologies.
Combine the venue datasets with publicly available data (e.g. house prices, rateable value, licensing, planning) and commercial data (e.g. ticket prices, attendance), each provided by public and private research partners (local authorities, LIVE, Night-Time Industry Association), and collate these outputs into a reusable, widely applicable, data-driven 'switchboard' that displays economic and social indicators for use by commerce and policymakers alike.
Work with partners to explore stakeholder perspectives and establish protocols on the appropriate levels of data aggregation and visualisation on the maps/dashboards to develop transparent and trusted sector agreed baseline data frameworks.
Aligning public and commercial datasets, longitudinally and comparatively between cities, will offer new capabilities for informed policymaking beyond the silos of specific departmental concerns, and greatly enhance analytic capacity for industry organisations and academic researchers in promoting civically sustainable cultural development.
In pioneering an interoperable digitised/automated approach to mapping live music sectors, to the best of our knowledge, Live Music Mapping Project 2.0 is a world first. With potential for regional, national and international application and impact, developing these systems will enable academics and industry bodies to unlock longitudinal collaborative potential within venue operations and their urban contexts, allowing for critical assessments of metropolitan policies that demonstrate where musical activity adds socio-cultural and economic value, locate regulatory pinch-points that constrain cultural growth, and identify clear markers of success and challenges for night-time economies.
Organisations
- University of Liverpool (Lead Research Organisation)
- Generator (Collaboration)
- University of Glasgow (Collaboration)
- West Midlands Growth Company (Collaboration)
- University of Hamburg (Collaboration)
- West Midlands Music Board (Project Partner)
- BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL (Project Partner)
- Night Time Industries Association (Project Partner)
- Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (Project Partner)
- LIVE (Project Partner)
- LIVERPOOL CITY COUNCIL (Project Partner)
- Generator North East Ltd (Project Partner)
| Description | At this evaluation point Live Music Mapping Project 2.0 is just over halfway to completion in January 2027. At this midway point our key findings to date are: 1. A Live Music Mapping Engine to automatically generate venue data can be and has been partially developed; 2. The sector maps for different regions allow for comparison across locations and time; 3. Important new research questions relate to estimating the number of active musicians in a specific location; 4. When overlaid with other data sources the underlying music sector data generated from mapping process can inform more accurate economic and social impact analysis. |
| Exploitation Route | We have already delivered full (live) music sector maps for Liverpool City Region, NorthEast and Greater Manchester Combined Authorities and Glasgow Life. We anticipate further interest in maps and data from other regions as the project progresses. |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) Government Democracy and Justice Culture Heritage Museums and Collections Transport |
| Description | The research has changed DCMS and ONS SIC code framework decisions so that the 2027 revision of the framework will include new codes that specify operation of music venues and live performances. This is still in process. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2026 |
| Impact Types | Cultural Economic Policy & public services |
| Description | British Council UK/Germany Springboard |
| Amount | £4,800 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 1270707210 |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2025 |
| End | 12/2025 |
| Title | A Full Music Sector Categorisation and Classification Model |
| Description | Consulting a range of individuals representing key music industries stakeholder organisations ( see list below) using Delphi method workshops we developed a new tiered three stage music organisation classification system. List of contributing organisations: Liverpool City Region Music Board; [Live Music Industries and Venues Entertainment] LIVE; UK Music; Music Producers Guild; [Performing Rights Society] PRS for Music; [Performing Rights Society Foundation] PRS Foundation; Music Managers Forum; [Phonographic Performance Limited] PPL; [Association of Independent Music] AIM; University of Leeds; South Yorkshire Music Hub / Sheffield City Council; Leeds City Council; Kirklees Council; Leeds City Council; Leeds Libraries; Leeds Conservatoire; West Yorkshire Music Network; Hull Music Network; Music Local; Wellbeing Equity for Musicians Alliance; Harmonic Health Hub, University of Sheffield; Association of Independent Festivals; Sound! Music Hub (The Music Hub for Liverpool City Region and Warrington); Creative Health; Pathways Into Music/CMU; EMMA; Mapping Music Education, Social Care, Health & Wellbeing; PLASA; Media Cymru; Centre for the Creative Economy. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | It was developed for the Liverpool City Region and we have since had requests to replicate the mapping and methodology in North East and Glasgow. |
| URL | https://lcrmusicboard.co.uk/music-sector-map/ |
| Description | Generator |
| Organisation | Generator |
| Department | Music Generator; Generator North East |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Was sub-contracted by Generator on behalf of North East Combined Authority (cf: policy engagement) through Newcastle University, who contributed £4,000 in HEIF funding to the project, to produce a full-sector map for the North East of England. The map is complete but not published. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Generator supported in the data gathering, focus group co-coordination and feedback and guidance on the map development. |
| Impact | A full-sector mapping of the North East's music ecosystem that is currently embargoed for publication as other aspects of the project are completed. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Glasgow University |
| Organisation | University of Glasgow |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our research team supported the a research team at University of Glasgow's Music Dept. to work with Glasgow Life to develop a full sector map for the city of Glasgow and surrounding areas. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The team at Glasgow Uni contributed researcher time to the project and delivered the vast majority of data gathering to produce the information to build the map. The map remains in development and has yet to be published. |
| Impact | Prototype map of Glasgow's full music sector. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | Hamburg University |
| Organisation | University of Hamburg |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Through a British Council Springboard grant our research team worked with the Public History Dept. at University of Hamburg to develop heritage venue views of the live sector maps for Liverpool and Hamburg. We hosted the team from Hamburg in Liverpool in April 2025 and had two of our associated PhD researchers visit Hamburg in October 2025. The published version of the Liverpool map can be viewed below. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Hamburg team provided resources and researcher time toward developing a prototype Hamburg live music heritage view map. |
| Impact | This project scoping and prototype development has led to a collaborative AHRC/DFG funding application. |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Description | West Midlands Growth Company |
| Organisation | West Midlands Growth Company |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Consultancy Contract paid to Aston to produce a report on Visitor Economy-Public Transport Use Across the West Midlands' Evening Economy |
| Collaborator Contribution | Commissioned the report. |
| Impact | The report was a collaboration between the Live Music Mapping Project and the Geographic Data Service |
| Start Year | 2025 |
| Title | Mapilyst |
| Description | The software uses agentive AI to identify music related businesses in targeted areas of the UK. It is currently in Beta testing and only accessible to the research team. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2026 |
| Impact | Still in development. |