Study Reveals Top 10 Most Rocking U.S. Cities

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin, Texas, the self-proclaimed live-music capital of the world, topped a new list of top cities in the U.S. for seeing live rock music, according to a study conducted by Songkick (www.songkick.com). The top ranking is based on the number of live rock shows per capita.

“We think the uptick of smaller, long-tail bands touring in more places than ever before, is a result of a growing awareness of these bands via the Internet.”

Songkick is the live music and technology company that connects music fans with their favorite artists on tour, so fans never have to miss another show. The new study ranking Austin as a top rock city is based on Songkick's analysis of artist, concert, festival and venue information from hundreds of sources.

Songkick data shows Austin has more rock concerts than any other city in the U.S. per capita, and the average cost per rock ticket there is $23.30. Madison is the second-ranked music city for rock, at an average rock ticket cost of $13.05. Both cities are college towns that support University of Texas at Austin and University of Wisconsin–Madison. Portland steals the show as the cheapest place to rock with an average ticket price of just $10.33. Glitzy Las Vegas ranks as the most expensive place to see a rock show with an average ticket price of $62.76.

The ten most rocking cities in the U.S. by number of live rock shows per capita include:

Austin, Texas – 100 Rock Score; average ticket price of $23.30
Madison, Wisconsin – 78 Rock Score; average ticket price of $13.05
New Orleans, Louisiana – 57 Rock Score; average ticket price of $16.89
Las Vegas, Nevada – 51 Rock Score; average ticket price of $62.76
Denver, Colorado – 44 Rock Score; average ticket price of $33.24
Milwaukee, Wisconsin – 38 Rock Score; average ticket price of $17.66
The Twin Cities (St. Paul and Minneapolis), Minnesota – 36 Rock Score; average ticket price of $11.36
Seattle, Washington – 35 Rock Score; average ticket price of $11.75
Portland, Oregon – 35 Rock Score; average ticket price of $10.33
Nashville, Tennessee – 34 Rock Score; average ticket price of $20.13

The full list and charts of Top 10 cities in the U.S. for rock music can be found here. (URL: http://www.songkick.com/blog/2010/11/18/top-10-cities-for-live-rock-music)

To compute the Rock Score, Songkick analyzed its database of more than 1.8 million concerts for rock artists’ 2010 tour dates, where rock includes alternative, indie, punk, classic rock, metal, emo, and rock. Songkick analyzed which cities have the most rock concerts per capita, giving the top city, Austin, a score of 100. All other cities are then ranked against this score—Madison has 78% as many rock concerts per capita as Austin, New Orleans 57%, and so on.

The study also analyzed concert data from 2007-2010 for major touring acts like Ben Harper, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden and also for the long tail of smaller acts that make their living and build a following on the road. The analysis found that the long tail of artists has had the fastest increase in tour dates per year over the past four years, while the most popular acts have had a relatively constant number of tour dates per year. Top data showed:

In 2007 the top quartile (major touring acts) had an average of 30 gigs; in 2010 they had an average of 31 gigs
In 2007 the bottom quartile (long tail of smaller acts) had an average of 22 gigs; in 2010 they had an average of 38 gigs

Songkick divided artists into quartiles based on their popularity. Songkick used its internal popularity ranking, which is based on the number of users who are tracking the artist and want to see them live.

Songkick found that the band with the most total tour dates from 2007 to 2010: All Time Low, with 508 shows (more than one every three days).

“We believe Austin and Madison rank the highest because they have large collegiate populations with a huge appetite for live music. Austin and Madison both have hundreds of venues that can host many touring rock acts for lower prices,” said Ian Hogarth, Songkick CEO and co-founder. “We think the uptick of smaller, long-tail bands touring in more places than ever before, is a result of a growing awareness of these bands via the Internet.”

Fans can also use Songkick to share information, photos, setlists and reviews with friends across popular social networking sites.

"There's a huge appetite for live music," said Mike McGuire, vice president, Media Research of Gartner. "But consumers can't satisfy that appetite if they don't know about the shows, which is why connecting touring acts with paying fans is so important. Reliable online concert information is a must-have component for almost any music-related online service, from paid music subscription services to download stores, music news sites and social networks."

About Songkick

Songkick, the home for live music on the web, is now the second largest live music destination after LiveNation. Recognized by Billboard Magazine as one of the Top 10 Digital Music Startups of 2010 and voted Best Innovation in BT’s 2010 Digital Music Awards, Songkick makes it easy for fans to track concerts for their favorite artists so they never miss them live. Songkick aggregates artist, concert, festival, venue, and ticket information from across 60 countries, so fans can receive personalized alerts for upcoming shows in their town and find the cheapest tickets. Fans can use Songkick to share concerts on other social networks, and add photos, setlists, and reviews after the show. Songkick's live music information is distributed across a network of partners including YouTube, Vevo, and The Hype Machine through their API.

Songkick is backed by Index Ventures and Y Combinator, as well as angels from the technology and music industries. Please visit www.songkick.com for more info.

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