Resources
No filters selected
Resources
This collection of resources is a non-exhaustive overview of studies and publications on the music sector in Europe and beyond. It will be continously updated aiming to offer a broad overview of existing research on different aspects and parts of the music sector.
By using the filter on the left you can search for specific researches, if no filter is used the publications are listed by date. If you observe that important studies/researches are missing, please contact the EMC at: info@emc-imc.org
Study on the discoverability of diverse European cultural content in the digital environment
Commissioned by the European Commission under the EU Work Plan for Culture 2023–2026, this study examines how European cultural content is discovered and accessed in today’s digital environment. It assesses the current state of online discoverability of diverse European cultural works, with particular attention to the role of platforms, curation, and recommender systems, and identifies emerging challenges and areas for policy action. The study focuses primarily on the music and book sectors. Other cultural sectors are addressed more selectively, while the audiovisual sector falls outside the scope of the study. The research combines desk research, sectoral analysis, and data mapping with extensive stakeholder engagement, including interviews, focus groups, and a workshop. A Europe-wide consumer survey of over 400 participants provided additional insights into user experiences. Quantitative analyses examined consumption patterns, curation practices, algorithmic recommendations, and metadata in the music and book sectors. Academic and methodological rigour was ensured through expert peer review by a Scientific Board.
Cultural Mobility Funding Guide - At-risk and Displaced Artists and Culture Professionals
This Cultural Mobility Funding Guide emerges as a direct outcome of On the Move’s international research-action project examining the situation of at-risk and displaced artists and culture professionals. Over the course of a year, this project has systematically identified policies and best practices across EU Member States, the United Kingdom, and the United States that foster the professional development of displaced artists. This guide specifically provides a comprehensive overview of funding bodies and programmes dedicated to supporting at-risk and displaced artists and cultural professionals, as well as the organisations designing initiatives tailored to this community.
Unleashing the potential of the european live performance sector - key findings from a pearle* mobility survey
Across Europe, citizens of all ages, backgrounds and countries may enjoy live concerts, performances, or shows, with access to culture often taken for granted. But very little is known about the countless rules that apply when putting on these same concerts, performances and shows, not least in a cross-border context. Moreover, the live performance sector – encompassing live music, performing arts and event enterprises – rarely follows standardised practices, as operations are nearly always customised to fit specific needs. Following the initiatives of the European Commission on a Competitiveness Compass in January 2025, the Strategy on a Single Market in May 2025, and the presentation of a Cultural Compass in November 2025, Pearle* is pleased to present the findings of a mobility survey conducted among its members between September and December 2025.
Reimagine International Touring - The Perform Europe Guidebook
Through its second edition, Perform Europe supported 42 projects that experimented with new approaches to cross-border touring. Their experiences – from ambitions and challenges to practical solutions – are now brought together in a new publication ‘Reimagine International Touring’, divided into volumes that address different stakeholders.
How music moves across Europe
Showcase festivals and talent-support programs help shape the early international pathways of emerging European artists. Events such as ESNS, Reeperbahn Festival, Tallinn Music Week and WOMEX offer chances to be seen by bookers, agents and festival programmers, while mobility schemes like European Talent Echange, Liveurope, LiveMX and Keychange create additional routes through subsidised shows, curated opportunities and professional development. ESNS, Liveurope, and Live DMA commissioned a study by SIGIC (the Slovenian Music Information Center), to determine how European countries are represented at selected European music festivals and explore the role of support programs in creating equal opportunities for artists from different European countries.
Between Rhetoric and Reality: Cultural Rights, Artistic Freedom, and Democratic Resilience
This report situates the performing arts within a context of democratic backsliding, social polarisation, loneliness, and distrust in institutions, arguing that theatre, dance, circus, and performance are essential democratic infrastructures rather than mere entertainment. Performing arts should be framed as a public good and a vehicle for cultural rights: they enable assembly, dialogue, critical reflection, and participation that are indispensable for democracy to exist and renew itself.