Music is something that has existed for centuries. It has connected cultures, people, and generations. Music is something we all take for granted. But lately, it seems that one of the most well-known and ancestral forms of musical entertainment may be at risk. Orchestras, ensembles of musicians who perform music together for audiences, have been losing revenue and audience members for over a decade.

The pandemic caused complete reliance on donors to keep orchestras afloat. However, orchestras were losing money even before the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, there was a 24% decrease in the total volume of subscription packages from 2005 to 2015. Orchestras have attempted to combat the decrease in subscription sales by increasing prices. However, the League of American Orchestras states that “if the prices rise much further, people will start walking away in big numbers. Data suggests that for average ticket prices we are within a few dollars of that point.”

Not all subscriptions are failing though. While the traditional, “curated” subscriptions, in which the orchestra determines the program mix and dates, declined in revenue by 17% from 2004 to 2014, customized subscriptions were up by 67%. This trend continued up until the pandemic, which caused a major drop in subscriptions. When surveyed, consumers state that a lack of flexibility and not being able to commit to dates far in advance are some of the biggest reasons for not buying subscriptions. Customized subscriptions allow buyers to choose what concerts they go to, giving greater flexibility. Flexibility could be improved further by offering a greater variety of concert packages. Typically, orchestras offer single tickets, customized subscriptions with few concerts and curated subscriptions with many concerts. By uncoupling flexibility and package size, orchestras can increase revenue.

Being unable to commit to dates in advance is a major issue for concertgoers. However, this can be remedied with the implementation of a “Flex Voucher,” which allows customers to pay upfront and select specific concert dates closer to the performance. Such vouchers allow customers to not have to plan for concerts too far in advance, enabling them to go at whatever point they want within an expiry date.

The relationship between orchestras and consumers has traditionally been highly transactional. However, buyers have grown more and more used to a closer relationship with their suppliers. Orchestras can combat this by offering new types of membership, ones unrelated to ticket buying. These memberships would provide an enhanced experience and prestige with no relation to how often one attended the orchestra. Due to being unrelated to tickets, they would not reduce ticket sales. Since they would contain mostly perks unrelated to the core orchestra experience, the public accessibility of orchestras would not be diminished. Some membership types that orchestras could provide include a VIP lounge in the orchestra hall, preferred access to single tickets, and adding a “Platinum” label. Interestingly, the latter has the greatest impact on uptake, more than any concrete benefit, as was found in a simulation conducted by the Oliver Wyman consulting company in conjunction with the League of American Orchestras. Of course, this is not suggesting that orchestras should provide no benefits with a Platinum membership, but indicates that they can utilize low-cost benefits, and have a lot of leeway in what they can offer. To further tighten the connection with audience members, orchestras could provide the ability to briefly meet with performers post-concert.

After the damage caused by COVID-19, rebuilding from it may be difficult for orchestras. One way to encourage people to attend is by making sure they feel safe. Currently, customers may choose not to attend concerts due to concerns about COVID-19. Orchestras can combat this by sharing the vaccine rates of their patrons with prospective ticket buyers (95% in 2021), which is far greater than the U.S. average (68%). One way that orchestras can move with the times is a change in repertoire, incorporating movie or pop music into their concerts. This is a great method to introduce new audience members to orchestral concerts.

It is evident that orchestras must change how they operate. If they continue to languish in an economic crisis, there is no hope for the industry. As of now, despite the music played by these orchestras being world-class, revenue is lost. After being hit by the pandemic, orchestras are in a critical state. Making changes to their systems is necessary now more than ever, lest the music we love be lost due to a lack of funds.