An empirical analysis of the frequency and location of concerts in the digital age

•We examine how concert distribution has evolved in the digital age.•We empirically analyze the relationship between city size and the concentration of concerts over time using the yearly concert data in the United States.•Our finding suggests that artists performed more concerts over the years studied.•Our finding suggests that the location of concerts became more geographically dispersed.

As recorded music sales have dropped, live performances have become an important revenue source for artists. In this context, we study how the geographical distribution of concerts has evolved during the digital music era. Using data on more than 33,000 concerts in the United States from 2000 to 2011, we investigate how the distribution of concert locations has evolved over time. Our analysis shows that artists performed more concerts from 2000 to 2011, and that these concerts became more geographically dispersed during this period.