Adelaide, Australia’s first, and only, UNESCO City of Music, is living up to its lofty status, a new report has found.
The music industry for South Australia contributed $490 million to the gross state product in 2022/23, according to “The Economic Contribution of the Music Industry to South Australia,” prepared by BDO.
That headline figure stacks against $375 million in 2015/16, when Adelaide was originally bestowed its UNESCO title.
At the same time, music industry employment grew to over 9,200 jobs (5,000 full-time equivalents), up from 6,300 jobs reported back in 2015/16, the report notes.
Although the pandemic forced the closure of many small to medium-sized venues, the dire situation “encouraged artists to innovate by enhancing their online presence,” reads an accompanying statement.
“As the industry moves forward, it now faces new challenges, including rising operating costs, labour shortages, and higher insurance premiums, which threaten its ability to thrive.”
The report, prepared by BDO EconSearch, and supported by the Music Development Office, the City of Adelaide, and Festival City ADL, emphasises the need for immediate, targeted investment to support sustained growth in the sector.
“Not only has demand for the creative arts not returned to pre-pandemic levels,” reads the report, “but artists and businesses are facing significantly higher costs to write, produce and sell music. Compounding these challenges are consumers faced with lower discretionary spending and not being able to afford to consume music in the same way they used to.”
With the right investments, its authors say, the industry’s growth can be accelerated, delivering benefits to the local economy and enhancing the state’s “cultural influence and profile on the global stage.”
Adelaide has been on a roll.
In 2022, the Hindley Street Music Hall opened for business a 1,800-capacity collaborative project between Secret Sounds, Live Nation, Five Four Entertainment, and the team behind Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall and The Triffid venues.
In the same year, Adelaide was nominated for “best global music city” and “best late-night economy initiative,” part of the international Music Cities Awards program
Also, the Indie-Con and AIR Awards are presented each year in the City of Churches, and several of Adelaide’s leading musical sons and daughters have been recognised with lanes in their honour, including Paul Kelly, Sia Further, Cold Chisel and No Fixed Address.
Despite its geographic isolation, Adelaide has a proud music history.
The status of live music in South Australia is considered so important, British festival promoter and “live music thinker” Martin Elbourne was engaged by the Dunstan Foundation to write a report on it, the results of which published in 2013.
Two years later, in 2015, Adelaide was recognised and designated a UNESCO City of Music.
Read “Economic Contribution of the Music Industry to South Australia, 2022/23” in full here.