I was at a conference this year and heard an industry leader say something at the end of a talk on the future of classical music that is my number one pet peeve.

“Of course, digital will never replace live concerts”

I’ve heard countless variations of this, all said in a self-congratulatory tone as some incredibly profound point that pats us all on the back for doing something special. A mic drop moment to rapturous applause. And yet, it is totally reductive.

There’s a problem in the classical music industry. One that impacts organisations’ strategies, output, and how they connect to audiences. It affects all, regardless of their size or location, and yet it’s something that is rarely spoken of. This problem is digital illiteracy in arts leaders.

Taylor Swift is a cultural phenomenon. Whether it’s her plane journey to the Superbowl overshadowing the game itself, or the economic impact of her Eras Tour on cities being so significant that she’s mentioned as a specific factor in a recent Fed report in the U.S.A, she is impossible to miss. But where did all this incredible attention from fans, audiences, and pretty much everyone come from?