Attend any mega-show by an A-list superstar, and what sticks in the mind afterwards? The costumes, mind-bending visuals, and explosive pyrotechnics? Giant robots firing lasers into the audience? Immersive 3D on huge LED screens? All very impressive, no doubt. But many overlook one of the most crucial elements of any live spectacle, mainly because they only notice when it’s bad. We’re talking, of course, about the sound. Live audio is often taken somewhat for granted, but a huge amount of effort goes into ensuring the artist sounds exactly like they should – and that fans, wherever they’re standing or seated, can hear every note and nuance.

This challenge, coupled with the record number of global tours and festivals planned for 2025, mean the demands on the live audio sector have never been greater. Suppliers must now navigate a complex landscape: tighter touring schedules, increasing technical expectations from artists and audiences alike, and a supply chain still under strain. At the same time, advances in speaker design, immersive systems, and rigging efficiency are reshaping what’s possible and expected, both onstage and behind the scenes.

In this report, IQ speaks with four leading audio firms about the pressures of today’s market, the tech they’re investing in, and the realities of delivering consistent high-quality sound in a fast-moving industry. And for many suppliers, the question isn’t just what’s next in terms of innovation – it’s whether there’s enough gear and qualified personnel to meet demand.

From rental cycles to maintenance logistics, staffing shortages to sustainability, this is the state of play in professional live audio.

Just how buoyant is the live audio sector? “Global touring is booming,” says Amnon Harman, CEO of d&b group, “and so the demand for high-quality sound equipment is ever increasing.” D&b serviced five of the top ten highest grossing global tours recently, including Coldplay, Taylor Swift, and Pink, as well as festivals including Rock in Rio, Sziget, and Glastonbury, but Harman notes that success isn’t just linked to mega gigs and events. “We anticipate solid growth in smaller venues for this segment in 2025, and we also expect a healthy festival market in 2025 – our installation business is steadily growing.”

“Immersive and spatial technology can be incredibly exciting with the right music content, but it’s not for everyone”

2024 was, says Andy Davies, senior director of product management at Meyer Sound, “another record-breaking year.” Yet this year, he foresees more “consistency in touring rather than major growth. The explosive post-pandemic growth has now stabilised, and I think that’s actually a good thing – it means a sustainable number of artists touring and venues filling seats.” One area he does see growth in, however, is venues upgrading their in-house systems. “A lot were financially impacted during the pandemic, but with sold-out shows and strong attendance, they’re now in a more stable position and have the confidence to invest,” he says. “That momentum is driven by fan experience, proving this is still a vibrant and valid industry.”

Sound Affects
As noted above, that fan experience can be harder to affect with audio – by its very nature, it lacks the creative one-upmanship and “wow” aspect of visual elements like screens, lighting, and pyro (although it is no less crucial). The average concert-goer might be completely unaware of the latest innovations or audio tweaks that keep their favourites sounding crisp and authentic, and indeed, can even be overkill. “Immersive and spatial technology can be incredibly exciting with the right music content, but it’s not for everyone,” says Bryan Grant, non-executive director at Clair Global.

But those who do have a use for such technology can develop ever more immersive and impressive productions. “Artists are becoming increasingly adventurous in their productions, and spatial audio solutions, such as d&b Soundscape, are enabling this creative evolution,” says Nick Malgieri, director of immersive enablement at d&b audiotechnik. With a focus on seamless collaboration between lighting, video, and audio departments, and further developing such technology to become even more ergonomic and intuitive, the likes of Soundscape can be integrated effortlessly into artists’ setups. “Spatial audio is also becoming more accessible through advancements in software, studios, and venues, further accelerating its adoption,” adds Malgieri.

Dispersed speaker systems in stadiums are also becoming more common, with fans in the nosebleed and faraway sections (quite rightly) demanding the same audio quality as those nearer the stage. So, too, are technologies like broadband directivity control and cardioid performance in large-scale systems. Malgieri notes that advances in research and development have pushed the boundaries of what manufacturers can achieve, raising expectations among engineers and sound designers. “We have extended these capabilities to smaller venues and applications, making high-performance sound more widely available.”

L-Acoustics are another innovator pushing the boundaries of audio. Following a mantra of source, system, and space – “all essential elements for complete audience engagement,” says Germain Simon, the company’s director of product management for loudspeakers. Their L-series is, he adds, “revolutionising immersive and 360° audio implementations. Its dramatically reduced form factor makes placement significantly more flexible, resolving traditional sightline challenges that have limited immersive design. Combined with up to [five times] faster load-in times, productions can now implement sophisticated immersive configurations that were previously impractical due to time or space constraints. This efficiency transforms immersive audio from a specialised exception to a readily achievable option for many more productions.”

“Even when it was pouring rain, I stood out in the audience just to listen – the quality was that good”

That watchword – efficiency – is another key driver of innovation for those IQ speaks to. “[Our focus is on making] equipment more powerful yet smaller and lighter,” says Andy Davies. “We’re using less raw material to make a smaller box that can meet the power output and pull less electricity while doing so. And being lightweight means that they use less truck space – that’s not just a practicality and cost thing; there’s a huge sustainability benefit as well.”

Live Goes On
All this has led to some groundbreaking recent audio solutions. Meyer Sound were tasked with creating a lightweight, compact PA system that could deliver stadium-level sound for Ed Sheeran’s +–=÷x Tour, a stadium tour with a completely open, in-the-round stage – no roof, no cover. “That’s when our PANTHER large-format linear line array loudspeaker was born,” says Davies. “PANTHER launched on that tour, and it’s since become our best-selling large-format line array by a significant margin.”

That system has since been used at the Montreux Jazz Festival. “It was my first time hearing PANTHER with the 2100-LFC low-frequency control element as a full system in the real world – live music, outdoors, night after night,” says Davies. “Even when it was pouring rain, I stood out in the audience just to listen – the quality was that good.”

Earlier this year, d&b Artist Relations took on a groundbreaking spatial audio project with Björk and Aleph Molinari at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. The vision was to create a six-story, immersive sound experience within the iconic “caterpillar” escalators – a space that had never been used for such an artistic endeavour before. “This ambitious installation combined [Björk’s] voice with the recreated calls of endangered and extinct animals, blending ecological activism with cutting-edge spatial audio,” says Roland “Roly” Oliver, global touring manager at d&b audiotechnik.

“The challenge was to deliver a fully immersive audio experience for both stationary and moving audiences across all six levels of the building. By leveraging advanced spatial audio technology and precise system calibration (powered by the DS100 Signal Engine and a network of compact E-Series loudspeakers), we achieved clarity, impact, and seamless spatialisation, even within the unique architectural constraints of the caterpillar.”

“Our built-in safety measures, such as limiters and system monitoring, help prevent damage and ensure consistent performance”

Sound Proofing
Take a rig outside the cosy confines of a venue or arena and another major issue presents itself – the weather. Any outdoor event or festival must contend with unpredictability and be braced for extremes. For this reason, sound equipment meeting the demanding IP55 rating – protecting against dust ingress and water jets from any direction – has long been a basic requirement. “That kind of protection needs to be baked in by the manufacturer – it’s not optional,” says Davies.

The norm is now to go beyond that, however, and offer further levels of weatherproofing. “We recognise that IP55 alone is not sufficient for extreme environmental challenges such as cruiseships, coastal salt air, tropical humidity, desert heat, or freezing conditions,” says Simon. “In these cases, we work closely with integrators to provide custom solutions tailored to fulfil the specific needs of each project.”

D&b are similarly invested in resilience in extreme or unique conditions. “For permanent outdoor installations or environments exposed to harsh conditions, such as sea air on cruise ships or coastal venues, we offer weather and seawater-resistant solutions across a wide range of our loudspeakers,” says Sebastian Schubnell, VP of product management at d&b audiotechnik. “These options ensure reliable performance even in the most challenging environments.”

Sound & Safe
Keeping all this cutting-edge equipment tip-top and ready to turn up to 11 is no mean feat, particularly when it’s being lugged around the world on mammoth tours (of the type where failure is not an option). While most installations these days do tend to be more rugged and therefore more reliable, things still occasionally break or malfunction. Therefore, maintenance is key to keeping such disruption to a minimum.

“In the rare instance that our integrated system check detects a driver failure, we ensure swift resolution through field service and replacement by an experienced technician,” says Oliver. “Additionally, our built-in safety measures, such as limiters and system monitoring, help prevent damage and ensure consistent performance under demanding conditions.”

“We’ve expanded our inventory in all territories so that customers can carry less on their global tours, especially speakers, amps, and rigging”

“We prepare each system we send out from pretty much scratch, so all components in the chain are rigorously tested before they leave the building,” adds Clair Global’s Grant. “Our techs are trained to identify, remedy, or work around faults on the road, but if the problem is too complex to solve in situ, we can generally replace a faulty item before it becomes a showstopper.”

And following the maxim that prevention is better than cure, some providers are investing significantly in their people and knowledge – and spreading both around the world to make the logistics of touring that much easier.

“We believe that our greatest asset is our people and have an extensive worldwide training programme, which means that non-key technicians can be supplied locally – a saving in travel costs with the added benefit of local knowledge,” says Grant. “In addition, we’ve expanded our inventory in all territories so that customers can carry less on their global tours, especially speakers, amps, and rigging.”

“A proactive approach minimises downtime and maximises reliability on the road,” adds Oliver. “We rely on a global network of experienced partners and offer comprehensive education programmes. These include workshops and training sessions that empower users to operate d&b systems efficiently and prevent potential errors. Such training ensures that users are prepared for any challenge.”

And as with video and screen technology, there are now a whole range of ancillary services popping up around audio ,and some companies, like Clair Global, are keen to step in. Beyond supplying equipment, they also design systems for tours and events, like The BRIT Awards and the MTV EMAs, and now provide comprehensive IT and comms services for both touring and major events – “a vital part of our business,” says Grant.

“Delivering powerful audio exactly where needed while minimising community disturbance is increasingly critical as noise regulations tighten globally”

“Our system design team works closely with our client engineers to provide touring systems that often encompass a variety of venues from theatres to stadiums depending on an artist’s status in a particular territory,” he adds. “We have built a separate team of trained specialists to design, license, and monitor these activities.”

Of course, challenges remain for audio providers – wind can be a menace, even when delay towers are deployed, and noise restrictions, particularly for events in urban parks, are becoming an increasingly hot topic. “Delivering powerful audio exactly where needed while minimising community disturbance is increasingly critical as noise regulations tighten globally,” notes L-Acoustic’s Simon.

But the sector seems in rude health, fully embracing innovation while doing its part with regards to sustainability and cost concerns.

Sound of the Crowd
Ultimately, it all comes down to providing fans with an authentic – and mind-blowing – experience and turning artists’ visions into reality. Like Stuart McCullam and his performance with The Breath at Manchester’s New Century Hall, where d&b helped transform each string on his guitar into a distinct “sound object” and position them around the audience in a 360-degree spatial audio environment. “The result was extraordinary!” remembers Oliver. “It felt as though we were sitting inside his guitar, with every note enveloping us.”

After all, any artist who steps onto a stage in front of an audience, whether it’s in a club, a festival, or a stadium, wants their music to be faithfully reproduced. “That’s what they’re there for, and they don’t want to be compromised, whatever the space,” says Grant. “Our job is to give them that vehicle to tell their story and to make it happen.”

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The LGBTIQ+ List 2024 – IQ Magazine’s fourth annual celebration of queer professionals who make an immense impact in the international live music business – has been revealed.

The ever-popular list is the centrepiece of IQ’s fourth Pride edition, sponsored by Ticketmaster, which is now available to read online and in print for subscribers.

To get to know this year’s queer pioneers a little better, we interviewed each of them on the development of the industry, the challenges that are keeping them up at night and more.

Throughout the next month, IQ will publish a new interview each day, starting with Ary Maudit (they/them), a multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer at Strongroom Studio/Saffron Records in the UK.

Ary Maudit is a non-binary multi-instrumentalist and sound engineer who crafted their ears both in live and studio environments. Their mission is to empower trans, non-binary, women and gender-diverse artists inspired by the motivation of making the music industry a more inclusive place.

Starting in venues, and warehouses across east and south London – including the O2 Kentish Town Forum, E1 and Printworks – Ary landed at Strongroom Studio in 2021, accumulating credits on records from Sault, Yungblud, Tom Chaplin, Declan McKenna, Erland Cooper and more. At the same time, they toured as a FOH for Picture Parlour, Art School Girlfriend, and PECQ. When not in the studio, Ary is a sound mentor for Saffron and an active motorcycle rider, supporting Sapphic Ryders LMCC.

Tell us about the professional feat you’re most proud of in 2024 so far.
The year has just started and I feel like my best feat is yet to come. I definitely enjoyed kicking off the year on the road with Picture Parlour across UK and Europe. Great fun, I love them and I know they will go far. I am so grateful I get to be involved in the process.

What’s your most pressing challenge in the industry at the moment?
The music industry has many pressing challenges right now, mostly linked to the lack of funds and the overflowing of privilege. It is hard to identify the most pressing one as it might vary from profession to profession. Definitely, artists would benefit from less pressure in content creation and more value in their music, and music industry partitioners in more visibility and better pay.

“I found so many people who empowered me towards my career but struggled with affirming my professionality beyond my identity”

What would you like people to know about your experience as a trans person in the sound community (both live and recorded)?
That there are good people out there and good spaces. My personal experience so far has been a mixture of ups and downs. I found so many people who empowered me towards my career but also struggled with affirming my professionality beyond my identity. Especially touring, which involves very short turnaround times, rarely offers the opportunity of having ‘the conversation’ and it ends up being a parade of misgendering. To all the people approaching the industry at this very moment, I’d like to say to never stop speaking up for themselves and believing in their skills, even if sometimes they are not the person that everyone is expecting to be in charge behind the desk.

Why do you offer mentorship and reduced-priced/free sessions to LGBTQI+, BIPOC and minority people?
To make education more accessible to an unprivileged demographic, and re-qualify tech and educational spaces. I believe ‘what you can see, you can be’. At the beginning of my career, I struggled to find a mentor from my same background/gender identity/sexuality. Having someone like you who can not only teach technical concepts but help you navigate the industry understanding the nuances related to your identity, makes a big difference. So I’m not just interested in fostering diversity in sound, I would also like to offer others what I lacked.

“Often companies are more interested in ticking the inclusivity box rather than actively listening and making structural changes”

How do you see the live music business developing in the next few years?
On a general level, I feel it’s a tough time due to Brexit and the overall recession the UK is going through. Touring is getting harder and harder due to prices and artists are forced to make cuts in every corner to only break even most of the time. I can definitely see a total reshaping of old ways of doing things to give space to a more free and independent, DIY market. Hopefully, that will mean more opportunities to see queer artists at the top, which consequently will mean more inclusive crews.

Name one thing the industry could do to be a more equitable place.
Take effective action. Many people are advocating for change and inclusion in different areas of the music industry, from live to studio. Although, often companies are more interested in ticking the inclusivity box rather than actively listening and making structural changes. The industry, all together, should actively work to make structural changes – from hiring processes to inclusion policies. It is a painful one as it requires dismantling old dynamics that have been in place for decades. Re-educating people who have been working in the industry for many years alongside pushing minorities to the higher grounds would ease this process. It is becoming more common nowadays to see women/non binary/trans and gender-diverse industry professionals at entry-level positions but there is some work to do in the higher grounds.

“I rarely go out nowadays as I am very busy with work, but Unfold is the only party I haven’t given up yet”

Shout out to your biggest ally in the live music industry.
Jake Murray, director of Strongroom Studios. He did and does to this day whatever is in his power to make inclusivity and equality part of his ethos. It is vital to have people like him in the industry who give equal opportunities to all.

What’s your favourite queer space?
Fold, without a shadow of a doubt. For those who don’t know, it is a community-driven nightclub and art space in Canning Town, London. It’s predominantly attended by queer people and they bring the best current electronic music/techno DJs and performers. They run an event called Unfold every first and third Sunday of every month which is uber trans/queer. I rarely go out nowadays as I am very busy with work, but Unfold is the only party I haven’t given up yet.

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