2022

Results

A summary report for the public has been prepared by Sound Music Cities and includes key findings and recommendations to guide immediate and longer-term strategies for the music community, municipal partners, and civic partners. Two appendices showcase responses: a data deck as well as a DEI data deep dive. All of the organizations involved in this initiative invite the community to embrace and work with this new dataset to develop ways forward that will continue to strengthen and build the greater Austin music ecosystem.

Summary Report

Appendix: Data Deck

Appendix: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) Data Deep Dive

“Musicians, venue owners, educators, technicians, and promoters are all part of our music ecosystem and are collectively the people that make us the live music capital. We need to support and protect these people in order to strategically sustain our music economy. The Greater Austin Area Music Census will do that by allowing us to see who and where they are.”

— Former Austin Mayor Steve Adler

Supporting the Growth of the Greater Austin Area Music Community

The Greater Austin Music Census is a community-led initiative to gain a better understanding of the current needs of the Austin-area music community. This marks the first time in almost a decade that the music community will have new data from which to develop policy solutions and approaches.  The Census captures key information about the greater Austin music economy to help the city and community to make more informed, data-driven decisions to support the music ecosystem. The Census was be administered by Sound Music Cities a leading Austin based provider of music ecosystem studies and music census work, in conjunction with the Office of Mayor Steve Adler, KUTX, EQ Austin, Juice Consulting, and over 50 local partners.


SURVEY CLOSED SEPTEMBER 9, 2022

FAQs

  • Music community leaders here in Austin and around the world have identified the importance of having measurable information about people who do music-related work in order to provide them with better support. The results of this census will be made available to the thousands of music industry professionals, nonprofits, and government agencies in our area, as well as to the countless music patrons and consumers who are the lifeblood of our music ecosystem.

  • The census asks questions specific to the realities of music workers, including general information about their demographics and occupation types as well as their perspective on issues such as diversity, equity, and belonging. There are no questions in this census about personal or business income.

  • Yes. The census does not collect any personal identifiers or IP addresses. Any individual responses highlighted in the published results will be attributed as “Census Respondent.” Raw data that is released will be bundled to prevent examining any one individual’s full set of responses. Further, the census platform maximizes the security and privacy of respondents. Learn more here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/curiosity/privacy-for-survey-respondents/

  • From 10 to 20 minutes, depending on your respondent category (Creative, Venue Owner, or Industry) and whether you type in comments.

  • Those working in the music industry in any capacity who are 18 years or older and living in the greater Austin metro area (Travis, Hays, Williamson, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties).

  • You should participate in the census if you contribute any type of music-related work, with or without compensation, and you believe your skills and commitment are worthy of acknowledgment and support. This includes part-time work, rarely-paid or volunteer work, and work that is more administrative than creative.

  • Oddly no, even though your continued support and interest is probably the most important benefit that a music scene can hope for. We thank you on behalf of all the tireless workers in music. If you know of any friends working in music, please encourage them to take the census!

  • To keep the data analysis manageable, we must limit the census to one entry per person, which means you must select one primary identity (Creative, Venue Owner, or Industry). That said, we know that most music people work in more than one area, so you will also have opportunities within the census to provide info on work you do in the other identity categories.

  • No. You can use a desktop, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Note that if you wish to leave and finish your response later, you will need to use the same device that you started with.

  • No. If the response deadline hasn’t passed, just return to the link using the same device you started with. Your work will be saved and you can pick up where you left off.

  • Not at this time, although we are looking for ways to provide assistance, such as a phone hotline or in-person service to field these requests. Please email info@soundmusiccities.com if you have further questions about this.

  • We released the data through a summary report with data appendices in February 2023.

  • You can email info@soundmusiccities.com.