BDO EconSearch manager Lisa Carlin said the information they gather will highlight where the challenges are and give the music industry and MusicSA a place they can advocate from.

“There is opportunity for some, and challenges faced by others,” Carlin said.

The study will investigate the employment, household income and gross value that the music industry contributes to the state.

BDO will conduct an online survey of music industry participants. The survey covers all consumers of music, from those attending live events to those purchasing music online.

Businesses are also included in the survey, with BDO assessing the income and expenditures of music venues and retailers, and the wider economic impacts.

Carlin said the survey will “help us collect the information we need to determine the size and shape of the industry in South Australia”.

BDO will compare the findings with a SA Music Industry Report conducted in 2017, prior to the pandemic.

“We used a similar method in that report, so the findings in this report will be directly comparable,” Carlin said.

The comparison will highlight and quantify the post-pandemic shift in the SA music industry.

“The South Australian music industry plays a very important role in our state’s economy and vibrancy, but is often not as visible as other industries,” MusicSA said in its survey release.

“Knowing more about our industry in a post-pandemic world helps us all to make better decisions and leverage opportunities.”

MusicSA is the peak advocacy body for the South Australian contemporary music industry and has commissioned this research in partnership with the Music Development Office, the City of Adelaide and Festival City ADL.

“As a designated UNESCO City of Music, music is an integral part of our state’s identity,” Christine Schloithe, CEO of MusicSA said.

Carlin added that the music industry was one of the industries that was hit hardest during the pandemic.

“The money that people have to attend performances just isn’t the same as it used to be,” she said.

In December, CityMag reported the closure of six West End venues in two months, including Fat Controller, Super California, Enigma Bar, 1000 Island, Wnderland, and Dog and Duck. Venue owners cited cost-of-living pressures, insurance prices and high energy costs as major factors.

Port Adelaide nightclub Confession followed this month and announced their closure after only six months of full-time operation.

The Crown and Anchor hotel in Adelaide’s East End, known as the “Cranker”, is the latest live music venue under threat – not from financial pressures, but from a proposed 19-storey student housing tower.

As reported by InDaily, the proposal by Singapore-based Wee Hur Holdings involves demolishing the existing hotel, which has hosted live music for more than 30 years and features acts on most nights.

The development plan has prompted complaints about the undervaluing of live music venues and their cultural impact in South Australia.

At the time of writing, a public petition to ‘save’ the Crown and Anchor has surpassed 19,000 signatures.

The survey from BDO EcoSearch is open until 8 May 2024.