Sheffield's musicians hit almost two billion streams as report outlines blueprint for 'Sheffield Music Office'
“The success of Sheffield’s entire music sector hinges on one thing: how well we support young people’s involvement in music”
A new report has revealed Sheffield’s famous music artists have hit 1.85 billion streams on Spotify in a single quarter, reaching a combined global fanbase of more than 100 million listeners.
Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon and Def Leppard are the top artists from the Steel cCty, who have reached this major milestone.
The news comes as part of a University of Sheffield report which calls for the establishment of a Sheffield Music Office to sustain and build on a legacy that has produced global icons.
On Thursday, September 17 the report was officially unveiled at Hagglers Corner.
Speakers included Jon McClure, lead singer of Revered and the Makers, and music journalist Daniel Dylan Wray.
Neil McSweeney, Senior University Teacher in Music at the University of Sheffield, co-founder and director of Hudson Records, and a practising singer-songwriter, led the research.
He said: “Our research shows that Sheffield does not merely produce music - it keeps it alive.
“Original, generational talent of the type this city has produced time and time again does not emerge from a vacuum. It emerges from a city that has been making, listening to and innovating music for centuries. This regenerative cycle is why Sheffield continues to inspire new generations to produce music that matters, reaching far beyond our boundaries.
“However, we cannot take this for granted. From the financial pressures on grassroots venues to the shifting economics of global streaming, the challenges are significant.
“With a clear mandate and a dedicated Sheffield Music Office, we can safeguard our musical heritage and realise the vast social, cultural and economic benefits it offers the city.”
The report, named “Sheffield: City of Music” explores the city’s musical heritage and economic impact, a scene that currently supports an estimated 2,100 full-time equivalent jobs, according to the university.
Sheffield has 1,478 distinct entities across the music sector, from venues and festivals to musicians and publishers.
The city’s unique ability to keep musical traditions alive from one generation to the next is identified as the ‘secret ingredient’ behind its ability to consistently produce world-class talent.
Whilst the findings in the report show the success of Sheffield’s music scene, it also warns that investment is needed for it to survive.
Neil added: “The success of Sheffield’s entire music sector hinges on one thing: how well we support young people’s involvement in music, whether in the classroom or in grassroots venues.
“While many factors determine how we compete and thrive in a changing global sector, nurturing the next generation is fundamental.
“Put simply, young people from every background and every corner of the city must be able to participate.”
The report argues that each era of Sheffield’s musical life depends on musicians finding their way in, whether it’s through school music programmes or DIY music making in venues, parks and bedroom studios.
It outlines various priorities to secure the city’s music future. These include protecting and developing infrastructure for young people’s participation and investing into the management and business infrastructure that allows Sheffield's creative talent to build sustainable careers.
Matt Ritchie, Founder and Creative Lead of Hybrid 3 Studios and Founder-member of the Sheffield Grassroots Music Network, said: “This report lands at exactly the right moment for Sheffield's music sector.
“A Sheffield Music Office is genuinely achievable: the partners, the capability and the appetite already exist, it just needs a dedicated team to coordinate them. And from our perspective it's desirable because it fills a real gap. Sheffield has talent and ambition everywhere, but no single home pulling it together for musicians, venues and 3rd sector organisations alike.
“Let's get that central point anchored in and build the Sheffield Music Office together."