An Empirical Analysis of Frequency and Location of Concerts in the Digital Age

Abstract

As recorded music sales have dropped, live performances have become an important revenue source for artists. In this context, we study how the geographical distribution of concerts has evolved during the digital music era. Using data on more than 33,000 concerts in the United States from 2000 to 2011, we investigate how the distribution of concert locations has evolved over time. Our analysis shows that artists performed more concerts from 2000 to 2011, and that these concerts became more geographically dispersed during this period.

Keywords: Concert, Music Industry, Long Tail, Geographic Distribution