d&b audiotechnik has become the first audio manufacturer to commit regular funding to Liveline, a new initiative from UK grassroots music advocacy organisations Music Venue Trust (MVT) and Save Our Scene (SOS).
The partnership makes d&b Liveline’s official audio partner, with the company committing annual contributions to the Liveline Fund — a fully funded national touring programme designed to address the root causes of what organisers describe as a touring crisis. The support also includes the donation of a d&b sound system installed on the SOS Fire Truck, a converted vehicle equipped with show technology that is used to raise awareness of issues affecting grassroots venues across the UK.
The initiative comes at a difficult time for the sector. Rising operational costs, energy bills, and business rates have placed many venues under significant pressure, and in 2025 one in five music venue jobs was lost – the largest workforce decline recorded since MVT began tracking the data in 2014.
Stephen Hogg, managing director of d&b audiotechnik UK, said: “The grassroots music sector is the foundation of the UK’s cultural and musical ecosystem. Partnering with Liveline enables us to directly help amplify the message that greater support is essential if we want to secure the future of the grassroots music venues sector.”
George Fleming, founder of Save Our Scene, added: “Having a partner of d&b’s stature on board is a powerful signal of how vital grassroots music is to the entire live ecosystem. d&b power some of the biggest shows in the world and they understand that global success is only possible when there is a thriving grassroots network beneath it.”
The d&b UK team will attend MVT’s Venues Day in London on March 17.
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