In the world of live music and entertainment, Live Nation Entertainment has a large influence on the music industry as a whole. This week, we will explore Live Nation’s practices and responses related to its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Live Nation not only influences how concerts are experienced but also holds a significant responsibility in setting standards for CSR within the industry. Given its immense impact and the shifts seen in the music landscape – specifically due to technology, artist influence, and fan interaction— let’s uncover Live Nation’s roles and responsibilities. But first,
What are Live Nation’s Corporate Social Responsibilities?
Live Nation Entertainment is the world’s leading live entertainment company, comprised of global market leaders including Ticketmaster, Festival Republic, and more. Live Nation emphasizes empowering others through music to make a difference in the world. Its main focus is on environmental sustainability, is on environmental sustainability, community engagement, and diversity and inclusion.
What’s Working: Environmental Initiatives
While its CSR was lacking in the past, Live Nation has more recently – in the last five years – made a public commitment to sustainability, with promises to lower its carbon footprint and enhance recycling efforts across venues. Live Nation implemented a strategic investment in TURN Systems, which operates a leading reusable cup system. Its goal is to begin distributing reusable cups at its venues and festivals, eliminate single-use plastic, and work toward zero-waste concerts.
The company has also been involved in promoting other environmental initiatives, such as the use of plant-based water bottles and the deployment of sustainable venue strategies like free water refill stations and compostable packages. Click here for more information.
Additionally, Live Nation has shown support for diversity and inclusion by starting the Live Nation Women Fund, established to improve gender equality across the industry by investing in female-founded live music businesses. It aims to provide capital and resources for underrepresented female entrepreneurs across the live music space. They also support a handful of charities. The question is….
Enforcing the Mission: Is Live Nation’s CSR Focus the Right Move?
While Live Nation’s environmental efforts are robust, its overall CSR strategy could benefit from a broader scope, addressing more directly the specific needs of the music industry aside from environmental sustainability and diversity and inclusion.
With Gen-Z slowly getting older, starting to become Live Nation’s main audience, it could be argued that some of their Corporate Social Responsibilities could be better tailored to their public.
For instance, issues such as ticket affordability and accessibility remain contentious. Just last November, Last November, the company was subpoenaed in a US Senate probe over “exorbitant ticket prices.” However, Live Nation bounced back claiming the tickets are priced by artists. This statement can’t help but make you question, would billionaire musicians like Taylor Swift really want to price nosebleed tickets for over a grand? High ticket prices and substantial service fees are a barrier to accessing live music for the average fan, and it’s frustrating! This contradicts and impacts its mission to maximize the live concert experience and empower through music.
Addressing these issues not only aligns with the need for broader CSR engagement but also would enhance Live Nation’s commitment to making live music accessible to all.
Looking Forward: Integrating Industry-Specific CSR
Effective PR is rooted in transparency. Live Nation’s open communication about its CSR goals, progress, and setbacks can build deeper trust and engagement with its audience. I would argue that Live Nation needs to integrate additional dimensions into its CSR strategy that are more relevant to its audience.
This could be achieved through a handful of things:
- Use blockchain technology to increase transparency in ticket sales and distribution, helping to eliminate fraud and scalping
- Implementing more initiatives and support to enhance artist and crew well-being.
- Support Social Movements that are more up to date, showing awareness for problems going on around the world
- Inclusive Event Experiences to ensure that events are inclusive and accessible to all, creating safe spaces for all genders and orientations, and promoting a zero-tolerance policy towards discrimination and harassment.
- Volunteer Work for more fans to have the opportunity to attend concerts
As technology continues to reshape the industry, Live Nation has the opportunity to lead innovative changes that support artists, companies and even fans. These are just several ideas that could be considered in updating their CSR.
A Reflection on Responsibility
While Live Nation’s CSR efforts around environmental sustainability are commendable and help combat climate change, they have an amazing opportunity to update their somewhat outdated CSR to reflect and support the issues their audience and the company are facing. Expanding its CSR focus to address more directly the newest challenges of the music industry would not only strengthen its position as a leader in live entertainment, but also demonstrate a genuine commitment to its stated mission of empowering through music.
*IMAGES FROM PEXEL & GETTY IMAGES*
Lexi Frick 
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