Every October, we celebrate Rocktober
a month dedicated to honoring the independent venues, artists, and professionals who keep live music thriving in communities across the country.
ROCKTOBER 2025
Powered by VOX — Building the Future of Live Entertainment
Powered by VOX — Building the Future of Live Entertainment
This year’s campaign is presented by our Venue Operations eXperience (VOX) Digital Marketing graduates. Throughout October, you’ll hear from a selection of graduates as they highlight some of the 19 independent venues across 13 states where VOX has provided training and share how the program has shaped the careers of 62 participants since launch. Their stories spotlight the future of live entertainment and the vital role workforce development plays in sustaining independent venues nationwide.
Every October, we celebrate Rocktober
a month dedicated to honoring the independent venues, artists, and professionals who keep live music thriving in communities across the country.
This ROCKTOBER, join the National Independent Venue Foundation in celebrating the vibrant ecosystem that brings music to life in your community.
Empowering more inclusive and sustainable independent live entertainment communities
Our mission is to preserve and nurture the ecosystem of independent live performance venues and promoters throughout the United States by supporting a transparent, competitive marketplace serving a diverse and inclusive community of artists, fans, and industry workers.
State Funding Resources Guide
Provided By Drake University
The National Independent Venue Foundation is proud to partner with Drake University, to introduce our State Funding Resource Guide. This database provides a critical repository of funding and workforce development opportunities designed to increase and support economic development and initiatives for independent venues and small businesses in the United States.
VOX is a 4-month workforce development program for selected participants interested in job opportunities within live entertainment venues. The program provides venue and job-specific training through an 8-week virtual gamification program, a 2-month paid internship in a local host venue, and as simultaneous 3-month mentorship with an assigned industry expert.
Stay up to date!
Sign up for the NIVF newsletter to stay informed about trainings, resources, offerings, and what we’re up to.
VIRTUAL TRAININGS
October 23 | 3:30pm ET
Licensing Made Simple: What Every Venue Should Know About Royalties - presented in partnership with Live music Society
Session Description: Music licensing doesn’t have to be complicated. In this session, Tobi Parks of Tour Tech breaks down the essentials of performance rights, setlist reporting, and royalty payments. Attendees will learn how to streamline quarterly PRO reporting, avoid common mistakes, and understand how accurate reporting directly supports the songwriters whose music fills their rooms.
Weather Emergency Resources
With increasing severe weather affecting the United States, being prepared, weather aware, and proactive about the dangers facing a venue or festival can save lives. The National Independent Venue Foundation is committed to sharing resources to help venues, promoters, and festivals address weather-related risks before they occur. See resources below to get yourself ready to face weather challenges.
Emergency Relief Fund
The Emergency Relief Fund is a crucial initiative for NIVF and uniquely aligns with its mission to preserve and nurture our national independent, live entertainment community. The ERF is currently accepting applications for disasters out of venues’ control.
Workforce Development Program
The Workforce Development Program is designed to advance and strengthen the training of current and future workers in independent live music spaces. Programs include our Virtual Trainings and the Venue Operations eXperience.
NIVF TRAINING HUB
The Training Hub provides easy access to the library of archived training videos and resources from the Workforce Development Virtual Trainings. Use it for individual staff development and training, as a group learning opportunity, or for onboarding.
INDEPENDENT VENUE JOB BOARD
The National Independent Venue Foundation's Workforce Development program now hosts the Independent Venue Job Board – on a new platform, with lots more functionality for job posters and job seekers. Connect to your next hire or new job now!
Donate to NIVF
Real and lasting impact.
Donating to the National Independent Venue Foundation helps develop programs for the independent live entertainment community to thrive, with a focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the industry. NIVF creates workforce development, education & community engagement, and emergency resources, with a long term vision of lasting sector support. Thank you for your gift!
NIVF is recognized as a tax-exempt organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (Tax ID #85-2436574).
The National Independent Venue Foundation (NIVF) is committed to equity in its support for independent venues, and seeks to create and encourage opportunities for venues, promoters, and festivals owned, operated, and staffed by people of color, women, non-binary, LGBTQ+, veterans, and people with disabilities. NIVF is committed to creating and upholding a safe space for its participants where respectful conversations around inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) can continue to happen. NIVF makes an ongoing commitment to prioritize IDEA initiatives and learn more about best practices and approaches to IDEA in the live performance industry, and to provide resources and professional development opportunities to support NIVF’s participants in doing the same for their individual organizations.
These entertainment hubs are critical to their local economies and tax bases as employers, tourism destinations, and revenue generators for neighboring businesses such as restaurants, hotels, and retail. Independent venues exist in every state across the country. During the pandemic, they were the first to be closed, then they were the last to open. The economic recovery process for this community is extending well past just reopening, requiring solutions unique to the industry.