SIC 7929 Bands, Orchestras, Actors, and Other Entertainers and Entertainment Groups

SIC 7929

This category covers establishments primarily engaged in providing entertainment other than live theatrical presentations; these establishments include bands, orchestras, and entertainers.

NAICS CODE(S)

711130

Musical Groups and Artists

711510

Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers

711190

Other Performing Arts Companies

The 34,230 establishments in this diverse industry employed more than 114,000 people in 2006. Combined, the total industry revenues for entertainers and entertainment groups, not including live theatrical presentations, was $4.63 billion.

Music

The pop music concert circuit reached record levels in the late 1990s and continued to grow dramatically in the new century. Internationally, concert receipts totaled $1.3 billion in 1999, up 12 percent from 1998, while North American revenues reached $1.23 billion, representing an increase of 11 percent. However, these numbers were soon outstripped in the early 2000s, with grosses growing each year. By 2004, North American revenues reached $2.8 billion. The top performers who contributed to these numbers were mostly familiar names. According to a Billboard report on the most successful tours of 2004, among the top 25 acts only five found commercial success since 2000. Seven groups dated from the 1970s, two from the 1960s, five from the 1980s, and eight from the 1990s. That year Madonna grossed $125 million at the box office, earning her the top spot among tours. Prince sold more tickets than any other artist, with almost 1.5 million in sales grossing $90.2 million. Other top performers in 2004 included Shania Twain with $62.5 million; Simon & Garfunkel, who brought in almost $60 million with their Old Friends tour; Metallica, which grossed $53.8 million; and Sting, whose continued popularity was evidenced by a $52.4 million tour. The top country performer in 2004 was Kenny Chesney, who sold more tickets than any other act in his genre and grossed just below $50 million. In 2006, the top musicians in terms of revenue for the year were The Rolling Stones, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Rascal Flatts, Madonna, and Barbra Streisand.

After making an unexpected surge in the late 1990s, with attendance by 18- to 24-year-olds growing by 15 percent between 1989 and 1999, opera faced troubled times in the 2000s. Ticket sales slowed, subscriptions dropped, fundraising lost momentum, and...