A new study from The Collective revealed women drive billions in live music spending, yet face friction the industry could solve for growth.
Despite deep emotional investment in live music, the research has found that participation is held back by planning and accessibility barriers, not a lack of demand.
The Collective, THE TEAM’s global advisory and advocacy business, launched Her Frequency: How Women Amplify Value Across the Live Music Experience. The global study has examined how women participate in the live music ecosystem and where the industry can deepen engagement, loyalty and growth by better supporting the full live music journey.
The study identified a clear growth opportunity for artists, venues, festivals, promoters and brands. Women already show strong emotional investment in live music, but that investment deepens into participation when the experience itself is easier to plan, more rewarding and worth returning to.
The research showed that 64 per cent of women worldwide are interested in live music, but their influence over the $200 billion industry extends far beyond attendance. They are fans, organisers, decision-makers and community-builders whose participation shapes how live music is planned, experienced and shared.
Surveying nearly 15,000 women across the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and Thailand, Her Frequency found that 83 per cent women who attend live music events play a significant role in the planning surrounding them.
The study underscored the emotional significance of live music for Australian women, with 65 per cent attending events to share experiences with others and 75 per cent saying it reflects their identity and individuality.
Women already represent a substantial source of spending across the live music economy. More than half spend over $100 beyond the cost of admission, with 29 per cent spending more than $200 and 11 per cent spending more than $500 per event. A further 85 per cent of Australian women are open to spending more when the live music experience feels more seamless, immersive and rewarding, pointing to clear headroom for deeper participation and commercial growth.
“The live music industry has always understood the immense power of fandom, but this research gives us a more nuanced view of how women create value across the entire experience. Women are not just showing up as individual attendees – they are very often the planners, connectors and decision-makers who turn live music into a shared experience. When the industry supports both the emotional pull of fandom and the practical realities that make participation possible, the impact extends well beyond one ticket,” said THE·TEAM managing director of The Collective Thayer Lavielle
“As the report shows, live music holds a powerful place for Australian women, where identity, connection and culture come together. The data shows that women here are already investing significantly beyond the ticket, but they are also telling us there is more they would spend when the experience feels richer and more rewarding. For brands and event operators in Australia, the opportunity is clear: design around women not just as attendees, but as the people shaping the shared live music experience,” said THE·TEAM vice president, Australia Nick Hudson.
For brands, the opportunity is twofold: make live music an easier ‘yes’ by creating more logistical ease around planning, comfort, coordination and care; and deepen emotional connection by helping women express identity, connect with others and extend the value of the experience.
The research also points to clear opportunities for brands, venues and festivals to make live music easier to say “yes” to. Examples included better planning tools like set time alerts and venue maps, more comfortable on-site experiences and stronger group support through split-pay ticketing, coordinated seating and travel bundles.
