Top 20 acts earn 93% of cash

ALMOST all the money earned in the Irish music industry goes to the top 20 artists, a report revealed yesterday.

U2, Enya, Westlife and the Corrs are among the high earners who account for 93% of the €268 million made in 2001.

Artists such as Sharon Shannon, Aslan, Jack L and the Frames attended the launch last night of two reports on the sector’s future.

A Goodbody Economic Consultants report shows the Irish music industry is hugely successful abroad but weaker at home.

From 1996 to 2001, Irish artists won 48 Platinum Awards, putting them fourth behind Britain, the US and Canada. But Irish artists only account for 26% of the home market.

The report said: “It is clear that there is considerable unexploited potential for further development of the music industry support sector in Ireland.”

It said there was a need for more support for young Irish artists If supports are put in place, the number of people employed full-time could rise from around 8,000 to more than 9,000 by 2005, the report says.

Much of the responsibility for this falls to the Music Board of Ireland Board member Nuala O’Connor said: “We’re very concerned that the support structures are extended to artists at home but I’m very pleased with the reports, which give a good idea of how much employment the music industry provides.

"And they didn’t even include revenues from the pub and record shop sector, two areas that would not survive without music.”

The benefits Irish music provides for tourism are also acknowledged, with 48% of visitors rating traditional music as an important reason to visit Ireland.

The report says local musicians are getting up to 60% of airplay in rural areas but only 12.5% nationally.

Liam Heneghan of the Merry Ploughboys, who played to more than 35,000 people last year, said: “Irish bands need the radio as an outlet to express themselves