The Live Music Mapping Project (LMMP) is a UK-based research consortium (with partners in Europe) that works to measure the economic and socio-cultural impact of geographically defined live music ecosystems. LMMP works to provide analysis to policymakers, sector stakeholders and the public that establishes transferable best practices and policy solutions that meet the operational demands of dynamic and diverse 21st-century night-time economies.

LMMP’s methods have derived from industry and policy facing academic research to produce a bespoke process for mapping live music ecosystems in specific locations. This involves deploying replicable surveys of audiences, musicians, venues and promoters, alongside interviews of key stakeholders – to produce tailored qualitative and quantitative data that allows for meaningful cross-city comparisons, and assessments of viable best practice. LMMP’s methods also involve building on the underlying datasets to the creation of digital maps of the music ecosystems, presenting music sector integrated with other publicly accessible data sources (e.g. ONS data, historical house price data, rateable value) to broaden and strengthen the policymaking intelligence capacity of the research.

The first part of the session involves a joint presentation by the team covering the background to the work, the technical aspects of the LMMP methodology, and case-studies of its previous deployment and implementation. This will be followed by group discussion and Q&A.