State supports and tax credits required to help struggling Irish musicians, says Imro
Irish Music Rights Organisation (Imro)
has said.
Research published by the body on Tuesday revealed that the music industry is worth €1 billion to the Republic's economy annually, supporting more than 13,400 jobs.
Based on a nationally representative survey of 1,000 people and a survey of Imro members, the report found that Irish adults spent an average of €757 on music events last year, including festivals and individual concerts.
Music fans spent an average of €298 on concerts in high-capacity venues last year and €194 on festivals, Imro said.
READ MORE
However, two-thirds of survey respondents said the high and growing price of concert tickets is a barrier to gig-going, while almost half cited the accommodation costs as an issue.
'At the heart of this report is a clear truth: Irish people don't just enjoy music – they live it. From packed festival fields to quiet moments with a favourite playlist, music is embedded in our daily lives,' said Imro chairwoman Eleanor McEvoy.
'This heartfelt connection is at the core of our vibrant music culture, but people working in the sector need more than passion to thrive.
According to the research, more than 13,400 people are employed in the music industry here, yet just 43 per cent of Imro members surveyed said they had full-time jobs in the sector.
Almost 70 per cent said they are reliant on employment in other sectors of the economy to sustain their careers, 'reflecting a widespread dependency on external income sources', the report's authors said.
Against this backdrop of financial precarity, Imro said the uneven distribution of streaming income, which means artists and songwriters receive a disproportionately lower share of the revenue relative to the streaming platforms, means mean musicians are struggling to earn sustainable incomes.
The body said the Government should look to apply some of the financial strategies that have helped the Irish film industry grow and develop, such as the Section 481 tax credit, to alleviate the financial burden on musicians.
The Republic's music industry could also benefit from State intervention at the level of marketing, Imro said, citing the example of the popularity of K-pop and the South Korean government's efforts to export it to a global audience.
Imro also wants the Government to put the Basic Income for the Arts, a pilot version of which was unveiled in 2022 and runs until the end of this year, on a permanent footing.
Ms McEvoy said musicians must be fairly compensated in the streaming economy and protected from 'emerging risks' like artificial intelligence.
'The recommendations outlined here are not just aspirational, they are essential steps toward a sustainable and equitable future for Irish music, and we look forward to working closely with the Government and the Oireachtas committees to further these recommendations,' she said.
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Photograph: Morgan Treacy/Inpho 'I think Robbie was saying that based on his potential more so than his consistent intercounty form to that point. But there could well be a correlation there between the amount Robbie was praising him and the level of confidence he's playing with. Because Jordy has obviously been phenomenal this year.' Walsh was standing at the other end of Croke Park a fortnight ago as Meath ate the final minute before the hooter. He reckons he was resigned to Galway's fate before the rest of them – he didn't hold out much hope of a Brennan team mismanaging the dying seconds. They didn't get to see each other on the pitch but his phone pinged afterwards with 'a lovely message' from his old boss. 'For a big fella, he's well able to shed a tear,' Walsh says. 'But he has a winning mentality. I don't know if that comes from him rubbing off on players or players rubbing off on him. But whatever it is, he's about winning. He's not in it for a lovely story about Meath getting to a quarter-final or a semi-final. He's in it for the main thing. 'And you can see he has it with the Meath lads. They have that energy with him. When they beat us the last day, you could see loads of them running over to him and celebrating with him. And a lot of that I'm sure is down to the belief he's instilled in them. He'd make you feel 10ft tall.'
