Live Music is Your Most Powerful Marketing Tool
How to use it.....
🍻 From Background Noise to Business Strategy: Why Live Music Matters More Than Ever
At every live music gig in your venue, you have a captive, engaged, emotionally connected audience. They're not just passing through. They’re ordering drinks, eating meals, tagging your venue on socials, and more importantly — they’re staying longer, spending more, and telling their friends.
Live music is no longer just entertainment. It’s strategic marketing in motion. It’s a tool you already have — now it’s time to leverage it smarter.
📊 The Numbers Don’t Lie: Live Music Drives Hospitality Recovery
Australia’s hospitality industry has faced seismic challenges post-COVID, but live music has played a central role in the recovery:
In 2019, just before lockdowns hit, Australia’s live music industry was worth $2.5 billion annually.
By 2021, the sector shrunk by nearly 70% due to lockdowns and venue closures.
In 2024, we’re experiencing a remarkable rebound, with live music attendance now surpassing pre-COVID levels in many metro and regional areas.
Research by Live Performance Australia shows that post-pandemic, 78% of Australians say they are more likely to attend live events to reconnect with community and culture.
Venues that program regular live music report up to 33% longer patron dwell times, and 22% higher average spend per head, especially when combined with food and beverage specials.
If your venue isn’t booking live music regularly, you're leaving a huge opportunity — and revenue — on the table.
🔧 Practical Playbook: How to Use Live Acts as Brand Amplifiers
Booking the act is just the start. What you do with the artist when they’re on-site is where the real marketing magic begins.
🎙 Before the Show: Briefing & Brand Alignment
When the artist arrives to set up, take five minutes to:
Welcome them warmly and show them where they’re playing.
Share your key promotions or messaging for the night (e.g., new cocktail launch, trivia night announcement, upcoming events).
Ask them to plug your socials, menu specials, or reviews in between sets.
Let them know where you want audience energy focused — dance floor? Bar? Gaming lounge?
That microphone is a megaphone for your brand. Use it.
⭐ The 5-Star Game: Turn the Crowd Into Raving Fans (Literally)
On strategic nights — say, once a month — some venues run the “How Much Do We Love This Bar?” game. Here’s how it works:
During the artist’s peak second set, they ask the crowd to pull out their phones.
Through playful audience banter, they direct patrons to:
Open Google
Search your venue name
Leave a 5-star review if they’re loving the vibe
Offer an incentive like a drink voucher, free entry to next week’s event, or a chance to win a bar tab.
It’s fun. It’s effective. It builds digital reputation capital while your bar is full of people smiling, singing, and sipping.
🧠 Live Music Artists = Brand Ambassadors
Remember: When they’re performing in your venue, your music artists are part of your team — and some of your most visible influencers.
Use them:
📸 Their Spotlight: Capture photos and videos of live sets for socials.
🎙 Their Microphone: Let them speak your brand messages in their own words.
🎵 Their Songs: Tie your promotions to the music (“Buy a Fireball during this AC/DC cover!”).
💬 Their Show: Add audience interactions that include calls to follow your venue on Instagram, sign up for the newsletter, or tag the artist in stories.
👥 Building Community, One Chorus at a Time
Live music isn’t just about sound — it’s about shared experiences. Each gig is an opportunity to:
Connect new patrons to your venue brand.
Deepen loyalty with your regulars.
Position your venue as a local cultural hub — not just another bar.
With the right music program, you don’t just fill seats. You build a scene.
📞 Ready to Build a Smarter Music Strategy?
Our team at The Pushworth Group books and curates live music experiences that drive revenue, align with your venue goals, and elevate your brand.
💬 Talk to your Pushworth booker today.
We don’t just book artists.
We build music-powered venue marketing strategies — every single day.
Written by Nichola Burton. I work in partnership with Agents, Artist Managers and Event Producers, who juggle a diverse range of relationships in the Musoverse, to curate, manage and measure data in systems, experience, creative and content to support the entire Musoverse operation in my enterprise A Little Pitchy Copyright 2025