Irish music industry supports 9,000 direct jobs

The Irish music industry contributes over €470 million to the economy and supports more than 9,000 direct jobs, according to a new report.

The study, which was produced by Deloitte on behalf of the Irish Music Rights Organisation (Imro), also says that an additional 2,480 indirect jobs are supported by the sector.

Imro’s report reveals that while digital sales in Ireland have risen over the past few years, recorded music sales fell by almost €40 million in the four years to 2012, from €72 million to €33 million per annum.

The organisation's chief executive Victor Finn said that in order to maintain and increase participation in Irish music, more needed to be done to ensure the right supports and structures are in place to assist musicians and help them access markets in Ireland and overseas.

He also called for greater collaboration between the music industry and the tourism, film, technology and gaming sectors to create new opportunities for growth.

The report contains a number of recommendations to support Irish music including the appointment of an intellectual property ‘tsar’ to consider the impact of IP and copyright legislation and enforcement. It also calls for the setting up of training courses to provide core business skills for professional musicians and for the establishment of an industry taskforce to encourage greater links with other entertainment sectors.

"We are at an exciting juncture for Irish music and now is the time to ascertain how we can support, grow and reinvigorate the industry. The sector delivers significantly for Irish society and the economy, maintaining and creating thousands of jobs. Collaboration amongst Government, industry and music creators themselves will help the sector to adapt to new challenges, grasp new opportunities and help it to reach its full potential," said Imro chairman Keith Donald.