More than 50 owners and operators of small independent live music venues gathered in Boulder, CO for the Live Music Society’s Music In Action Summit.
From longstanding operations like Nick Forester's E-Town (Boulder), One Longfellow Square (Portland, ME) and B-Side Lounge (Cleveland) to newer ones like Drkmttr Collective (Nashville), small venues like these are where most musicians get their start
I was fortunate to join them and old friends including Phil Ciganer of the legendary Town Crier (Beacon, NY) and booking agent and LMS board member Val Denn as well as new ones like Mehmet Dede and Serdar Ilhan, the impressive owners of Drom (NYC) and the dedicated Dave Kennedy of the Roots Music Project (Boulder). I also got to spend time with my hometown heroes Dylan Locke and Heather Krantz of the Floyd Country Store (Floyd, VA), Tyler Godsey of 5 Points Music Sanctuary and Brooke Blair of The Spot on Kirk (both of Roanoke, VA).
It was inspiring to connect with this dedicated group.
You don’t run a small venue to get rich. In fact, a National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) 2025 study showed that 65% of independent venues lost money last year. You operate a small venue because you love live music.
Helping these small venues thrive is the mission of the Live Music Society.
Founded by visionary entrepreneur and musician Pete Muller and run by the indefatigable Executive Director Cat Henry along with Sarah McCauley and Valerie Salerno, the organization provided $5 million in grants to small non-profit and for-profit venues over the last five years. Board President Gavin Berger and Trustees Val Denn and Stephen Webber completed the LMS leadership at the conference.
The purpose of the Music In Action Summit was for their grantees to learn, share information and build community. Along the way, some common concerns and possible solutions emerged.
Rising Costs
As all consumers know, everything costs more. It’s no different for small venues already operating on razor thin margins. Staffing, rising rents and insurance were among the top concerns shared.
Increased Competition
All independent venues worry about competition from Live Nation, AEG and the dollars that big shows suck out of the marketplace. Small venues have to worry about larger independent competitors as well.
Olivia Jones, a MIDiA Research analyst, and Chris Cardillo, Head of Music Partnerships at Eventbrite provided an overview of the current marketplace and a look at emerging trends. One that resonated with many attendees was positioning your venue as a safe place where varied fan communities can gather. Think Taylor Swift sing-alongs and New Wave dance nights as well as poetry slams and affinity group gatherings
Some independent venues share information and support each other, but many do not. Trading ideas and resources with other small music venues can help them compete.
Ticket & Bar Sales Are Not Enough
A recent TSE Entertainment analysis showed that independent music venues increasingly need to look beyond ticket sales to stay financially viable. The tough financial numbers from the NIVA State Of Live survey reinforce that reality.
Many venues also report that their second top revenue stream, bar sales, are down, primarily due to shifting consumer behavior. The TSE study offered some hope, showing drink sales can still provide steady income if optimized through pricing, inventory management, and high-margin drinks including mocktails.
Like Joe Lapan and Alisha Edmonson of the Songbyrd Music House (DC), most Music In Action Summit attendees also count on other revenue sources to fill the gaps. Memberships, VIP experiences and events, sponsorships, venue merch, food (check out the creative menu at Sean Watterson’s Happy Dog in Cleveland and the treats served by puppets from the Sugar Hole in Chicago's Color Club), private rentals and alternative programming like are among the most successful.
Non-Profit vs. For Profit
Unlike most grant programs, LMS serves both non-profits and for profits.
While there was no clear consensus, many attendees using either business structure are thinking about switching to the other. The ability to accept donations, IRS reporting and ease of decision making are their top considerations.
Some, like Krantz and Locke of The Floyd Country Store and Ali Blair of the Rebel Rebel Studio & Lounge in Berea, Kentucky (who facilitated the conference with Leah Van Winkle) operate a for profit venue alongside a complimentary non-profit organization.
Reaching Fans and Selling Tickets Is Harder Than Ever
Perhaps even more than competition, reaching fans and selling tickets is a major challenge for all music venues. That’s particularly true for those introducing new artists.
Thanks to shifting algorithms, less than 10% of a venue’s followers see their social posts. If they still exist, local radio and print have a fraction of the impact they once did.
Strong email lists still work best for most venues with SMS and WhatsApp discussed as additional channels. Drom and B-Side Lounge were among the conference attendees successfully using Bandsintown PRO automated marketing.
Community Matters
The importance of community was an overarching theme throughout the Music In Action Summit.
All music venues need a community of dedicated fans to spread the word and buy tickets. Non-profit venues also need volunteers and donors. From student concerts to local non-profits, the venues in Boulder partner to expand their communities and bring in new audiences.
Just as important to the conference attendees was building a lasting community of small music venues who support each other.
The enthusiasm of the attendees suggests that this year's Music In Action Summit successfully launched a network of leaders who will significantly magnify the impact of past and future Live Music Society grants.
