Jungle is massive! Or at least it is in the UK capital of drum and bass, Bristol. The South West city is legendary for its music scene, from rock to reggae, dubstep to trip-hop. Just a few famous Bristol exports include Massive Attack, Portishead, Roni Size, Idles, The Pop Group, Eats Everything, Pinch and Idles. So it’s unsurprising so many Bristolians want to follow in their footsteps. But even we’re a little surprised to learn that Bristol has the highest density of musicians in the UK.
A new study, using PIRATE.COM booking data, has determined the density of artists in cities across the UK and Ireland. Examining the number of bands, DJs and recording artists relative to the overall population, Bristol was identified as the UK city with the highest concentration of music artists. (It is likely Bristol’s small size coupled with creative DNA that sees it beat out the much bigger cities.)
Joining Bristol at the top as cities with a significant artist population are: Norwich, Brighton & Hove, Nottingham and Liverpool. On the other end of the scale, Bradford was found to have the lowest density of musicians. While London, despite its famous music scene, ranked in the bottom five. That could be down to a number of reasons, however, like its extra-large size and the higher cost of living in the capital.
PIRATE.COM’s study also showcased a growing interest in electronic music and DJ culture across the UK. Comparing the usage of DJ studios to band rehearsal studios in 17 major cities in the UK and Ireland, it found that DJs outnumber live artists in most cities, including UK music capitals like London, Manchester and Birmingham. The only exception is in Edinburgh, where bands outnumber DJs.
“Analysing the distribution of artists across the UK underscores the importance of supportive environments for nurturing talent outside of traditional music centres,” said Rebecca Mason-Evans who runs Pirate Residency, a talent initiative fostering the careers of artists using Pirate’s studios. “That’s what Pirate is for.”
Using data from applications to Pirate Residency, it was also able to highlight the most popular genres in different regions. Rock and indie music emerged as the most popular genres in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, while drum and bass took the lead in the South West (hello Bristol!) and East of England. House and techno dominated most regions, including Yorkshire and the Humber, the West Midlands, the South East, the North West, the East Midlands and London.
PIRATE.com is a network of 24-hour recording and rehearsal studios. To learn more about this study head here.
Cities with the highest density of musicians in the UK & Ireland
1. Bristol (1.301%)
2. Norwich (1.026%)
3. Brighton & Hove (0.897%)
4. Nottingham (0.800%)
5. Liverpool (0.737%)
6. Leicester (0.686%)
7. Cardiff (0.611%)
8. Leeds (0.605%)
9. Glasgow (0.600%)
10. Dublin (0.532%)
11. Birmingham (0.515%)
12. Plymouth (0.418%)
13. London (0.417%)
14. Edinburgh (0.366%)
15. Sheffield (0.336%)
16. Manchester (0.238%)
17. Bradford (0.225%)