14 October, 2025 | Lisa Benjes
The guide contains background information on the relationship between culture and audiences in Germany, a summary of the findings of a recently published study on audience experiences with contemporary music, and finally, step-by-step instructions tailored to the independent scene for creating an audience development plan.
It is not uncommon for dog owners to bear a striking resemblance to their pets. A similar observation can be made in the cultural sphere: those on stage tend to resemble the audience sitting opposite them.
Without a conscious effort to understand the needs, interests and expectations of potential listeners, there is a risk that concert organisers will remain in their own bubble instead of cultivating a diverse and growing community.
In the context of current economic and social developments, audience development – the strategic cultivation and engagement of audiences – is gaining significance. It compels cultural professionals to critically reassess their programming, communication, and institutional structures to find new ways to involve people beyond their core audience.
The freedom of art is a precious commodity in Germany and is enshrined in the constitution (Article 5, paragraph 3 GG). The German cultural policy is shaped by the understanding, that arts should not be only protected against political influence and censorship, but also against market influence and audience consent. In order to protect them from economic constraints, high culture offerings in particular receive extensive public funding. This explains, why the audience traditionally plays a rather subordinate role when shaping the cultural offering. In this country, engaging deeply with the audience and incorporating its interests into artistic programmes is still seen as being at odds with artistic quality or artistic freedom.
However, there is also a trend in Germany towards attaching greater importance to cultural participation. This is due, among other things, to a shift in the demographic structure of the population, with a growing proportion of people with a migrant background and a desire to reflect pluralistic society in cultural offerings. In addition, the dwindling consensus on traditional high culture as the dominant culture, a declining interest in classical cultural offerings and a strong social divide among cultural audiences are increasingly calling into question the relevance of cultural offerings (Mandel, 2021). Last but not least, the pandemic has further exacerbated the decline in audience numbers, from which institutions are only slowly recovering. It is therefore not surprising that engagement with audiences is an increasingly relevant topic in German cultural policy.
As a result, cultural institutions are under increased pressure to justify their tax-funded programmes. The focus in terms of audience is no longer exclusively on increasing ticket sales, but on reaching new target groups with different social, cultural and economic backgrounds. The contemporary music scene in Germany, which consists largely of actors from the independent scene, is also dependent on cultural policy decisions through funding institutions. However, there are rarely guidelines for cultural participation in existing project funding. Rather, special funds and entire funding lines are set up with the aim of increasing participation among different sections of the population.
But even without pressure from above, there is a growing desire among those involved to reach beyond a niche audience in their own echo chamber. A lack of diversity is perceived as a problem not only in organisational structures and artistic programmes, but also in the composition of the audience. Participation can take various forms, from attending as visitors to actively involving the audience in projects.
The question of who art is actually for, or should be for, has led to a series of exciting performances that break with the self-referential practices of contemporary music. Many organisers are finding creative and unique ways to increase cultural participation in their programmes and to involve underrepresented groups in a sustainable manner.
Audience development refers to the process of attracting and retaining audiences for cultural organisations through a strategic combination of audience analysis, programme planning, marketing/PR and outreach. It is difficult to provide a precise definition of the term. This is partly because audience development has evolved differently in its countries of origin, the United Kingdom and the United States, where different interpretations exist today (Allmannritter, 2017).
The three main objectives of audience development are a) expanding the audience, b) deepening relationships with the audience, and c) diversifying the audience (Bollo, Da Milano, Gariboldi and Torch, 2017b). These objectives often overlap, as individual activities and measures rarely pursue a single objective. In contrast to marketing, which aims to increase ticket revenues purely in quantitative terms, audience development goes beyond this to focus on the qualitative, sustainable development of the audience, a change in its socio-demographic composition and the creation of a stronger bond with the audience.
A long-term and integrated approach to audience development leads to changes in at least three main dimensions: the organisation itself, the artistic programmes and, finally, the audience and communities (Bollo, Da Milano, Gariboldi & Torch, 2017b).
In audience development, a distinction is generally made between the following approaches:
Strategic audience development can be used to achieve a wide variety of goals (often simultaneously):
Social Goals
Artistic Goals
Organisational Goals
Financial Goals
Which of these approaches and goals are pursued in the cultural sphere, is also determined by socio-political developments. In the 1970s, a wave of cultural democratisation began internationally, which became known under the slogan ‘culture for all’. The aim was to provide open access to art and culture for previously marginalised target groups.
After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, rapid reunification led to the threat of economic crisis in eastern Germany, which increased financial pressure on cultural institutions throughout Germany. The legitimacy of state funding became increasingly linked to visitor numbers, and dependence on ticket sales grew.
Since the 2000s, the composition of the audience has also become increasingly important. Demographic changes – in particular the growing proportion of people with a migrant background – led to a desire to reflect pluralistic society in cultural offerings. At the same time, the social consensus on high culture as a normative model declined, and interest in classical culture waned. The pandemic further accelerated the decline in visitor numbers.
These principles can also be applied to the current situation in Europe: cultural institutions across Europe are facing massive cuts. The pressure on institutions to justify their programmes through visitor numbers is increasing, and at the same time, their dependence on ticket sales continues to grow.
Compared to other art forms, there is currently little reliable information available about contemporary music audiences. This is partly because, for the reasons mentioned above, audience research in Germany still lags behind other European countries and a solid data base is only slowly being established with a view to increasing cultural participation and specifically targeting new audiences with cultural offerings. On the other hand, it is probably also due to the structures of new music and the fact that it is a comparatively small art form.
Surveys of cultural audiences in Germany largely refer to museums, theatres and concert halls. Groups from the independent scene, which make up the majority of contemporary music, are less likely to be included in surveys due to their decentralised structure. This also makes it much more difficult to collect valid data. Independent groups perform on a project basis at different locations and have no way of building up data sets via their own ticketing systems – let alone drawing conclusions about the existing and potential audience of the entire scene from aggregated data sets of all actors.
However, a recent large-scale study by Gina Emerson (2020) provides insights into contemporary music audiences for the first time. The book responds to recent debates about cultural participation and the relevance of music composed today, and makes a data-driven contribution to discussions about audience diversity and accessibility. The study focuses in particular on the audience experience at contemporary music concerts and examines how socio-demographic factors, the social context and the concert format itself shape aesthetic experiences in the concert hall. The book presents quantitative and qualitative audience data collected at twelve concerts (including internationally renowned festivals) in ten different European countries.
The main results of the study were:
Average age:
The average age was 48 years. This lies between pop music, where the audience is younger, and classical music, where it is older. It was interesting to note that the age range in contemporary music is particularly wide and that it appeals to both young and older audiences.
Level of education:
The audience for contemporary music belongs to an educational elite. The general level of education is usually even higher than in classical music.
Activity:
The audience belongs to the ‘culturally highly engaged’ group. These are the sections of the audience that take advantage of cultural offerings particularly frequently. An impressive 84.3% have already attended a contemporary music concert before. This confirms the perception of many that the audience consists of a small circle of enthusiasts.
Expertise:
The study also found that the listening experience correlates strongly with expertise in music: the greater the expertise, the better the listening experience. Here, too, it must be noted that the prejudice that new music is demanding is confirmed.
Frequency of vistis:
The quality of the experience was decisive for the frequency of concert visits. This is not only determined by musical expertise, but also – and above all – by the overall concert experience, such as the setting and format of the concert.
Audience taste:
Older audiences listened to jazz as well as classical music. Younger audiences had a much broader, less highbrow taste in music, ranging all the way to pop music (dance music, hip hop, etc.).
Audience reception:
When asked how contemporary music is perceived by the audience, the following adjectives were chosen:
Formats and conditions for first-time visitors:
The concerts that first-time visitors found particularly emotional, entertaining and captivating featured a significant number of non-musical elements (staging, audiovisual elements or audience participation). This allowed the audience to choose different ways of engaging with the work. Participatory formats were also rated as particularly positive and accessible, with those directly involved in the concert having a more memorable and satisfying experience than those who were merely watching. Participatory formats also attracted the highest number of new audiences.
On the one hand, these results highlight the need to create new conditions that enable a positive listening experience and thus greater participation by people from different backgrounds. On the other hand, however, they show that it is possible to reach and retain new audience groups by actively designing programmes and formats.
We will guide you step by step through the process of developing your own audience development plan. This guide is tailored to the needs of the independent contemporary music scene and is designed to be as practical and easy to implement as possible. However it still requires thoughtful reflection and commitment, and (unfortunately) it won’t happen on its own.
An Audience Development Plan contains the following steps:
A mission statement or an organisation's self-image describes what it does, why it does it and where it wants to go in the future. This also includes the role played by interaction partners, including the audience. The mission statement forms the basis for planning the strategy and measures.
A mission statement consists of:
Most contemporary music ensembles do not have a proper mission statement. But even without one, it makes sense for smaller organisational structures to regularly review the organisation's principles, main activities and goals. These can be referred to at any time in day-to-day work, helping to keep the focus on what is essential. The following questions can help with this:
For the audience development plan, it is sufficient to start by determining why you want to reach your audience and how important it is to your work.
When considering which goals your organization would like to achieve with regard to the audience, it can be helpful to look at the goals mentioned above in the text.
Some Examples:
Sonoscopia
Sonoscopia is a space for reflection and creation, open to different ways of thinking and acting, and that’s where it’s strength resides. Throughout the all this years we have been doing an effort to create a space where artists related with experimental, improvised and electroacoustic music could share ideas and develop consistent work in a physical space that gathers all the technical and human conditions needed.
We believe this dynamic allows Sonoscopia to grow and it creates a frame where local and international creators participate to construct a network, creating an ever growing sense of community. We want Sonoscopia to be a free space where everyone can feel a bit part of the project and collective.
BIT20 Ensemble
The BIT20 Ensemble was formed in 1989, born out of a necessity to boost the contemporary music scene in Bergen and Norway. It rapidly became a spearhead both nationally and internationally. With the exceptional quality of its instrumentalists, and their intrinsic passion for new music, BIT20 has taken its repertoire on the road, from renowned festivals and venues […]. BIT20 is also keen to continue nurturing its local roots, and has in recent years done a great deal of work for and with its audience in its hometown of Bergen. It has assumed the mantle of responsibility for new Norwegian music and has commissioned and premiered hundreds of works as well as contributed to 26 CD recordings. Not only does the ensemble function simply as a group of musicians on stage, but they also work on outreach projects as both performers and mentors. Our goal is to present the most adventurous ideas in modern music, and to document its rich history. We are continually striving to rethink the way we present the music we love.
ÉRMA
In ÉRMA, we strive for immaculate and engaging interpretations. We don't just perform contemporary music; we create concepts with musical dramaturgy at their core. Through this, we aim to reach diverse audiences and broaden the societal reach of new music. In order to do this, we work as a flexible and easily adjustable platform of collaboration. Creative thinking, open minded communication, questioning and redefining well-established norms, borderless experimentation is our mantra. ÉRMA, essentially, equals balance.
The target group is the totality of all actual or potential individuals who are to be addressed. An analysis of the target groups should precede all work. Only when you have an idea of who you want to reach can you determine how best to address this group of people. This may sound like a lot of work at first, but it does not have to be. And ultimately, you save yourself a lot of unnecessary work if your approach is targeted and does not fizzle out in all directions.
A basic distinction is made between existing audiences and potential audiences:
Segmentation:
The basis for identifying target groups is segmentation according to relevant characteristics. Segmentation involves dividing the existing or potential audience into groups (or segments) based on various criteria (age, gender, place of residence, other interests, etc.).
Segmentation makes it possible either to design new programmes for specific audience segments (a target group-oriented approach) or to reach particular groups of people with existing programmes (a programme-oriented approach). Individual measures should always be aimed at a specific segment.
Segmentation based on demographic characteristics such as age, gender and family, geography, income or social status now only has a minor influence on interest in cultural events (Brown, 2007). Age, gender and income used to play a much greater role in event attendance. It has long since ceased to be considered good form for high-earning managers to attend classical music concerts. Instead, a psychographic approach is now more commonly used, which takes into account aspects of lifestyle, values, interests and behaviour.
Morris Hargreaves McIntyre provides comprehensive material on this topic on his website:www.mhminsight.com/culture-segments/
Possible characteristics for segmentation are
Behaviour:
Demographic:
Geographic:
Psychographic:
There are various ways to find out who your existing and potential target groups are. It is best to combine different methods.
Here are a few examples:
Culture Segments is an international standard segmentation system for organisations in the arts, culture and heritage sector developed by Morris Hargreaves McIntyre.
Overview over different „Culture Segments“: https://www.mhminsight.com/culture-segments/
Survey: Which segment do you belong to? https://www.mhminsight.com/culture-segments/survey/
Once the potential audience has been identified, the next step is to decide how you want to address these target groups. The whole team should be involved in this process if possible. This also helps to ensure that planning is coordinated with programme design and financial planning.
Ansoff Matrix
The Ansoff Matrix originally comes from marketing, but can also provide useful insights into the relationship between audience and programme in audience development. It is a useful tool for planning the measures an organisation can take to retain and expand its core audience while attracting new target groups (The Audience Agency, 2017).
Regarding the Ansoff Matrix, you could ask yourselves the following questions in particular:
Maintaining existing target groups
The aim here is to nurture your regular audience and encourage them to visit you more often or to attract more people from the same target group to your concerts. Nurturing your regular audience should always be a priority.
Measures
Important: As we have seen above in Gina Emerson’s study, the quality of the experience is crucial for the frequency of visits. So, it's not just about the concert itself, but about the entire experience surrounding it.
Reaching new, similiar target groups
If you want to expand your audience and reach new target groups similar to your regular audience while keeping your programme the same, your public relations measures must be tailored to these groups. These people are not yet familiar with your work, which is why it is particularly important to draw attention to yourself, build trust, convey a first impression of your work in an accessible way and break down any barriers. Remember that it is not enough to simply spark the interest of new people. In order for them to come back, they must have enjoyed the event, and you need their contact details to inform them about future events.
Measures
deepening / expanding relationships with existing audience
This may involve either developing new programmes that you want to introduce to your existing audience or deepening your relationship with your existing audience by introducing new formats or frameworks.
Measures
Remember: Gina Emerson: “The more knowledge, the better the experience!“
Reaching new, more diverse audience
Reaching a completely new and more diverse audience is the supreme discipline of audience development, as it is not enough to make the packaging more attractive; instead, the programmes must be completely rethought. This involves a great deal of effort.
It helps to critically examine one's own programmes and ask why some sections of society are not interested in them. Are representatives of the desired target group represented on stage? Are their stories being told? Is there contact with the target group in order to find out what their interests are and what conditions would be necessary to persuade them to attend a concert?
Incidentally, one project is not enough. Even if the desired audience can be reached through the right measures, this does not mean that they will return. This requires constant work with the target group and a serious commitment to retain them in the long term.
Measures
Remember: Gina Emerson: Participatory formats are particularly well received by newer audiences.
[Excursus: Community Building
Since the 2010s, there has been a noticeable shift in focus from audience development to community building. Cultural institutions have begun to engage more deeply with social issues, reaching beyond traditional cultural spaces to include settings such as nursing homes and hospitals. In this evolving understanding, communities are no longer seen merely as audiences to be reached, but as co-creators of cultural life. The guiding idea — often summarized by the slogan “Building communities, not audiences” — reflects a broader transformation in the cultural sector. Audience development is now increasingly understood as an ongoing process of community building, becoming an integral part of institutional practice. Accordingly, the role of cultural institutions extends beyond producing and presenting art; they are also expected to act as good neighbors, sharing responsibility for the social and cultural well-being of their local environments (Allmanritter, 2017).]
Once the potential target groups have been identified and it has been defined how they should be addressed, it makes sense to reconsider whether you will actually achieve your original intention and finally set specific and measurable goals or indicators.
That may be the case:
You can be creative here. The only important thing is that the indicators are measurable within the scope of your possibilities. The SMART approach helps with this:
Now comes the most exciting part: with the action plan, you put your ideas into daily practice. Choose an appropriate time frame – this could be the duration of a project or a three-year plan with a detailed annual or seasonal plan.
The action plan should clearly outline the following aspects:
Verify and adjust the action plan regularly as part of a cycle. The final step is to evaluate the strategies and measures in line with the objectives. Was the project successful? Where was it unsuccessful? Are there any know reasons for this?
Once you have evaluated the project, you can adjust the strategies and measures if necessary and define new ones.